Being There
by PacificRomance
Summary: To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. Future Fic.
1. Names

A/N: This is going to be a new multi-chapter. "Companion" is getting near the end and I've been having killer writer's block lately, but I'm going to try to get it finished up before the end of June. And in the meantime, this story just won't leave me alone, so I thought I'd start it.

This is going to focus a little more on Chuck and Blair's children, but C&B will figure prominently as well. Let me know what you think!

….

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there" -Barbara Bush

...

"Okay, tell me about your family again." Lauren said as she plopped herself down on her boyfriend CJ's lap.

"What do you want to know?" he asked with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her.

"_Anything_! I'm meeting them for the first time tomorrow and all I know is that you have an absurd amount of siblings who all apparently have more obnoxious names than you do."

"Hey, don't make fun of the name! It's my dad's name too." CJ said defensively.

Lauren tilted her head and gave him a look, "Come on, you have to admit that Charles Bartholomew _is_ kind of ridiculous."

"You should compare it to my brothers' names." CJ muttered under his breath.

Lauren sat up, remembering the purpose of the conversation, "So tell me already! I already met your one brother, the one who is a freshman at Harvard, and his girlfriend."

"Oh yeah, Hank and Celia, I forgot you met them."

"Hank, right, that was his name!" Lauren exclaimed, "I couldn't remember it. Hank isn't such a bad name."

"It's a nickname." CJ pointed out.

She rolled her eyes, "Well, of course. But what is it short for? Henry, right? I mean, it wouldn't be _my_ first choice, but it's not worse than yours-"

"No," CJ interrupted, "Not Henry. His name is Harold. Harold Roman."

Lauren just stared at him for a moment with her mouth open. "Wait, what?" She stuttered after a moment, "His name is Harold?"

"Yes," CJ said with a smirk, "Harold Roman."

"But you call him Hank?" She clarified.

"Yes," He explained patiently. "My parents usually call us by our full names, but we all have nicknames."

"So why doesn't he go by Harry?"

CJ gave her a pointed look, "Come on, Laur, _Harry Bass_? That sounds to similar to-"

"Hairy ass. True. That would just be inviting trouble." She agreed with a nod.

"Yeah, and Hank is the most reserved and sensitive of all of us, so that would have been a bad idea."

"Okay, so there is you and then Hank…" Laura said as she began counting on her fingers.

"And then the twins are sixteen." CJ continued, "Their names are Edward Eric-"

"Oh, that's not so bad-"

"-and Theodore Cyrus." He finished, ignoring her interruption.

Her eyes widened slightly, "Wow. Okay, yeah, that is pretty bad. So what are their nicknames? Ed and Ted?" She asked skeptically with a look of disgust.

"Oh God, no! My parents would never stand for that. No, it is Ed and Theo."

"Ah, okay, I like that better."

"I'm sure they will be glad you approve," CJ said sarcastically, "They are the biggest troublemakers out of all of us. They drink and do drugs, they sleep around, and you can't trust a word that comes out of their mouths. They're not going to be friendly or social so don't worry about impressing them."

"Good to know." Lauren said with a raised brow, "So there's two more, right?"

He nodded, "There are two more boys and then one girl."

"Ugh, right. Your family is too big. How am I ever going to remember everyone?" She groaned.

CJ laughed and kissed her forehead, "You'll do just fine."

She ignored him and went back to the count on her fingers, "Okay, so after the twins…"

"There is Sebastian Fitzwilliam. He's twelve and he is my little buddy."

"Oh my gosh, that name is pretty awful. What do you even call him?"

CJ had a small smile on his face as he thought about his favorite brother, "He actually really likes his name. Most people call him Fitz, but my mom used to call him Sebby when he was little and my baby sister combined those two names and called him 'Fitzby' so that is what me and her call him."

"Fitz?" She tried the strange name out.

"Yeah."

She smiled, "I kind of like it."

"Well you better like him. And I know he will like you." CJ said as he buried her nose in her hair.

"And after Fitz," She continued, "Your last brother is…"

"Fredrick Arthur. He's eleven and he is a miniature version of the twins."

Lauren sighed, "These names just keep getting worse. Do you call him Fred?"

"No, he goes by Ricky." He said casually before moving on, "And then the baby of the family is Lexie. She is four and she is my parent's little princess." He chuckled and shook his head, "She is going to be completely spoiled and everyone knows it but does nothing to stop it."

"Lexie? I like that name."

"Well, that's not her actual name. Her full name is Alexandra Eleanor Lillian Bass. And that is how she will introduce herself to you. Only people she knows can call her Lexie."

She raised her eyebrows, "So I am going to have to ask permission from a four year old to call her Lexie?"

"Yes." CJ said with a laugh. "And she might be your toughest critic, except maybe for my mother."

"Oh God, there are so many people I have to remember and impress! Why did your parents have to have so many children? Don't most Upper Eastside families only have like one or maybe two kids?" Lauren asked.

CJ smirked, "Yes, and that was my parents plan as well, but they are very, um, _passionate_ about their love for each other and they tend to get, uh, I guess you could say, caught in the moment, and, uh, forget to use protection."

"Oh my gosh." Lauren said as her face scrunched in disgust.

CJ was used to this reaction, so he ignored it and continued, "My parents only wanted to have two kids a few years apart from each other after they had been married for a little while, but they got pregnant with me right after their honeymoon and then Hank was born only twelve months after I was. My parents thought that was it; that their family was complete, but then three years later they found out they were pregnant again with the twins. And then they got another surprise when they got pregnant with Fitz four years later and again a year after that." He finally looked up, back at his girlfriend and he couldn't help but grin at the look of horror on his girlfriend's face at his open discussion of his parents' sex life, "After that, my mom finally gave up trying to convince my dad to get snipped and decided to go under the knife herself and get her tubes tied." Lauren's brows knitted in confusion, but CJ continued before she could speak, "But it ended up failing and a few years later along came Lexie. Once they had their daughter, my father finally agreed to the vasectomy, and so far they haven't had another surprise."

"Please stop." Lauren begged, "I know way too much now." She frowned as she shook her head to try and erase what she had just heard, "Why don't you tell me some other, less intimate things about your parents. All you have told me is that your dad owns like a billion dollar company and your mom works for her family's fashion line."

"Just Google them." He said with a roll of his eyes.

She pouted, "Come on, C, I need to know what they are _really_ like."

"But that's the thing," He said, "How I describe them is going to be completely different than what you are going to see. They are different when it's just our family. Whenever anyone is visiting my parents are just different; they are a little more reserved and formal. Even when Celia is staying with us they change a tiny bit, even though they practically raised her."

"C-" She whined.

"Okay." CJ groaned, giving in. "Um-, Well, my dad is usually pretty quiet and stern. He is always in a full suit unless he is in his silk pajamas. I don't think he even owns a pair of jeans. He doesn't really waste time being polite or talking to people he doesn't need to; he lets my mom handle that. At parties he tends to just stand by my mom's side while she makes conversation or he is talking to business associates. But he shows his since of humor when he does make comments; they are usually dirty or have a double meaning, which makes my mom roll her eyes or scold him." CJ chuckled before he continued, "To society, my dad seems like this stern, cold businessman, and on some level I guess he is, but deep down he _does_ have a heart even if most people don't get to see it. Some people think he isn't capable of love, but you just need to see him around my mom for two minutes to realize that isn't true. And even though he has never really been that affectionate with me or my brothers, if we need him he will drop everything to be there."

Lauren looked at him seriously, "You're really close with him, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." CJ said before he sighed, "I mean, I've always looked up to my dad, you know? And I've worked at his company every summer since I was sixteen and he has told me that once I graduate, the company is mine if I want it."

"Which you do."

"Of course. It has always been my dream to run Bass Industries. Once I get my MBA, my dad is going to basically semi-retire and just help me get settled in the business."

"He must be so proud of you." She whispered.

"I hope so. My dad doesn't typically trust people that easily, so the fact that he is going to trust me with his company really means a lot. I just can't mess it up."

"You won't." Lauren soothed as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I'm sure your dad knows you will do a great job." Seeing the worry on her boyfriend's face, Lauren decided to change the subject, "Okay enough about the infamous Chuck Bass. Tell me about your mother. I'm a little scared to meet her."

CJ laughed, "As you should be. My mom is pretty tough, especially when it comes to people getting involved with her family. I mean, she will smile and be polite to your face but it will all be with such a strong undertone of conceit that it will make you question whether she is really even being nice at all."  
"Your-, uh, your mom sounds like-, um, like a real piece of work." Lauren said nervously.

The fear on her face only caused CJ to laugh harder, "Don't worry, you will be fine." He tried to comfort her, "Just be yourself. Don't try to be what you think she wants. My mom hates lies and fakeness; she can see right through it. As long as you are real and genuine there won't be a problem."

Lauren bit her lip, "Okay," she said hesitantly before she moved on, "So besides being extremely protective, what is your mom like?"

CJ pondered the question for a moment, "Um, well for one thing she is tiny. She's had seven kids and she's still barely a hundred pounds. And even though she has six sons who already are or will eventually be almost twice her size, she will still let us cuddle up next to her and rest our heads on her tiny shoulder after a hard day." He shook his head with a faraway look in his eyes, "In the public eye she seems like the most cold-hearted woman in the world, with her perfect hair and perfect make-up and perfectly tailored clothing. I don't think I've ever seen my mom when she wasn't completely done up or not in heels and a meticulously coordinated outfit. Most people probably think she would have no desire to go anywhere near a sick or messy child and that she has had all of her children raised by a team of nannies. But my mom never had a single nanny, unless you include the maid, Dorota, who basically raised my mom and is practically family, so she doesn't really count. And, yes my mom usually left some of the messier things to Dorota, but whenever we really needed her, she was there."

Lauren just looked at her boyfriend. She wanted to believe him, but she had looked up his family on the internet, and she had seen videos and interviews of his parents and his mom really did seem like an uptight bitch.

CJ read the look on her face and he smiled softly, "I told you that you wouldn't believe what I said about them. Just be yourself tomorrow and they will love you."

"Come on, CJ," She said knowingly.

"Okay, love might be too strong of a word." He said as his grin widened, "But they will approve of you. If they see that you really care for me and aren't being fake, then everything will be fine. And as long as you remember the two rules."

"What? What rules?" Lauren asked in confusion. He had always given her the impression that his parents were fairly laid back when it came to regulating their children.

"Calm down." CJ said as he rubbed her back, "They are only unofficial rules and they are really for your own benefit."

She closed her eyes, "Just tell me what they are."

"Don't go downstairs before 6:45 in the morning. That's when my father leaves for work and the time before that is my parents' private time-,"

"Okay…"

"And always, always, always, knock before opening any closed door; whether it's a bedroom or a bathroom or even a closet. Always knock. Especially if it is at a party."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"Like I said before, my parents can be very passionate and get caught up in the moment, so you just want to be careful before you walk into any supposedly empty areas."

"Oh my God, CJ" She exclaimed.

He simply patted her knee and pushed her to her feet as he stood after her, "I'm just warning you, Babe. Now I think that's enough about my family. You'll meet them soon enough and then you can make your own judgments. Let's go to bed. Hank and Cece are going to pick us up early tomorrow and then we have a few hours in the car before we will get to the city."

"Ugh, okay." Lauren said as he kissed her hair before she turned to him with a pout, "I'm still nervous though."

CJ leaned down and kissed her, "Don't be. You'll do great, I promise."

….

A/N: If you noticed, the middle names of all the children are for important people in Chuck and Blair's lives.

This is just kind of an introduction. The story is going to kind of deal with each of the kids individually. And just for future reference, I am not a medical expert. Any medical talk comes mostly from what I've read on the internet/Wikipedia.

Please review! Thanks!


	2. Running

A/N: Okay, this chapter turned out WAY longer than I expected it to, I even had to split it up. This chapter is going to be the main one on Hank and Celia's relationship, though there is some minor Chuck/Blair in here too.

There is going to be one more chapter after this sort of setting up the characters, and then it's going to get into more of the storyline stuff and Lauren's meeting with Chuck and Blair. I hope you all will bear with me until then!

…..

When the foursome arrived in the city early the next morning after their drive down from Connecticut, the boys had to rush to meet their family. On the day before Thanksgiving the Basses always went down to the cemetery to visit the graves of Bart, Lily, and Cyrus before they went out for lunch all together.

Since this was traditionally a family-only event, CJ and Hank dropped the girls off at Celia's apartment and went on their own. As Celia explained to Lauren, "I'm sure if we wanted to go with, Chuck and Blair wouldn't have a problem with it; I mean if you want to be technical about it, I am more related to Lily than they are, but I've always let them do this on their own. The Basses are a very guarded family, so something this personal is not something I would ever want to intrude on."

So instead the girls decided to get settled at Celia's apartment while they waited for the Bass family to finish their lunch.

When they entered the apartment, Lauren's jaw dropped, "Oh my God, this is where you live?"

Celia laughed, "Yes, at least when I'm not at school or staying at the Bass's."

Lauren looked around in confusion, "Do you live here by yourself?"

"Not including the maid and the cook? Yes, for the most part," Celia said with a shrug of her shoulders, "except for the random times when my mom is home."

"Where _are_ your parents? Aren't they going to be here for the holiday?"

Celia snorted, "I wouldn't count on it. The last time I talked to my mom she was in Madrid, but who knows where she is now. She is always bouncing around from place to place. She comes back here from time to time, but it is never planned."

Lauren frowned, "Has it always been like this? Is that why you spent so much time with the Basses?"

"Um, yes, I mean, I guess you could say that." Celia stuttered. When the other girl just looked at her in confusion, she sighed, "It's a long story."

"We have time." Lauren stated simply, never taking her eyes off the blonde girl, "The boys and their family probably aren't even at lunch yet, right?"

Celia chuckled softly, "Yea I guess not." She sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her for Lauren to sit. When the other girl had gotten comfortable, Celia began speaking, "My parents had a roller coaster relationship for a long time. They were both sort of free-spirits who couldn't really stick to one thing or one place for long, so their relationship was on and off for many years. They would meet up randomly all over the world on their travels and go out drinking and hooking up and then they would break up soon after. But one night they ran into each other in Las Vegas and got really drunk and somehow ended up married."

She shook her head and laughed softly, "Chuck immediately got the best lawyers for my mom so she could get a quick divorce, but my parents decided to actually try to make it work. And it did, to everyone's surprise. They hopped around from country to country like they had before, but they were traveling together instead of alone. Then a few years after that, my mom found out she was pregnant and she got really nervous because she thought my dad would freak out and get scared and leave, but he didn't. He was almost more excited than she was. They finally settled down here in New York where all their family was." Celia became more somber as she continued, "But less than a week after I was born, my father took off. There was no warning, no sign that he was unhappy. One day my mom woke up and he was just gone. She was confused and completely heartbroken. She went to Chuck immediately and had his best PIs go out and look for my father."

"PIs?" Lauren interrupted.

Celia tilted her head and gave the girl an amused look, "Yeah, you don't know about the Bass private investigators? Chuck has a whole team on standby at all times."

"What? Why?" Lauren asked. She was completely baffled. She had never heard of anything like this.

"CJ didn't tell you?" Celia's amusement only grew, "Well that figures. He probably didn't want to scare you off. Your whole family has probably already been checked out, so if there are any skeletons in your closet you should be prepared for a private talk with Chuck or Blair or both later today. Otherwise you have nothing to worry about. And in the future, don't forget that you are probably being watched."

"So what, they don't trust us?" Lauren asked bitterly, "That doesn't bother you?"

"Not really." Celia said with a shrug of her shoulders, "That is just the way Chuck is. He keeps on eye on everyone in his life. He doesn't really do trust well. He has a file on just about everyone, but no one else, except maybe Blair, ever sees them. Like, CJ will never find out anything that the PIs dig up about you unless Chuck believes that it is a threat to their family even after speaking with you. Then he'll talk to his son and convince him that you aren't a good choice of company to keep."

Lauren stared at the other girl with wide eyes, "You're serious?"

"Completely," Celia said with mock gravity before she burst out laughing, "Don't worry. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about." The other girl still looked nervous, so Celia decided to get back to her story, "Anyway, my mom had the PIs start looking for my dad and about seven months later they finally got a solid lead. When they told my mom, she packed up and brought me over to the Basses so she could go and get him. But Chuck and Blair had never been a big fan of my father's and they didn't agree with my mom's decision to leave me behind to go find him."

…

"_Serena, you can't just abandon your child." Chuck said from his place standing behind his wife._

_Blair looked at her best friend with concern, "Serena, sweetie, think about how you felt every time Lily would take off and leave you and Eric. You don't want to do that to Cece. Plus, Carter has been gone for months. What makes you think he will even come back with you?"_

"_I don't, but I have to try." Serena said as she looked at her pleadingly, "B, don't you remember how much it hurt whenever Chuck would run away from you back in high school? Imagine experiencing that pain now; now that you have CJ and Harold."_

"_Serena," Chuck said sternly, trying to stand up for himself, "That was a long time ago. I would never-"  
"Go," Blair interrupted him, "We'll watch Cece for as long as you need. Go find him and bring him back here."_

_Chuck stared at his wife in confusion, but Serena rushed forward and hugged her, "Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I find him. I promise."_

_After Serena had said goodbye to her daughter and left, Chuck turned to his wife with a questioning glance._

_She met his gaze defiantly, "I put up with your silly fears and your need to run away from your feelings when we were younger, but if you ever left our children…" She paused and shook her head, "I would hunt you down until I found you and then I would drag your sorry ass back here and lock you in a room with your sons so you could never leave again."_

_Chuck pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "I'm not going anywhere, ever. I promise."_

…

"My mom didn't find him that first trip and she came back after a few days even more brokenhearted than when she had left. After that, the PIs would get leads every couple of months and my mom would rush off to whatever foreign land they claimed my father was in and leave me with the Basses but she always came back alone after a few days or even sometimes a few weeks." Celia started playing with one of her rings on her fingers absentmindedly, "Then on my fifth birthday my mom started the familiar routine of packing up a bag for herself and a bag for me, but I refused to be left behind that time. I cried and begged her not to leave on my birthday and to let me go with her to find my dad. I guess she was running late or something because she ended up letting me go with her. And that was the trip when we found him." She looked down as she continued, "He wasn't in the first place we looked, but we had just missed him. So we followed his trail and we found him in Madrid. His hair was buzzed short and he was really thin and he looked a lot older than all the pictures I had seen of him. My mom figured out right then why he had run away and I think she forgave him in that instant."

"Why did he do it?" Lauren asked quietly.

Celia looked back at her, "He hadn't been feeling well in the last few months of my mother's pregnancy and he found out just a few days after I was born that he had a brain tumor. He didn't want my mother to have to deal with his illness and a newborn and he thought he would be more of a burden than a help to her, so he decided to leave and get treatment overseas. He figured that he would either get better and come back healthy or he would die and no one would know."

Celia reached up and wiped away the single tear that had fallen onto her cheek, "When we found him, he had just gotten the news that his most recent surgery hadn't been completely effective and there was no more treatment the doctors could offer. We had finally found him, only to find out there was nothing else anyone could do for him and he was dying." More tears welled up in her eyes as she continued, "My mother and I stayed with him in Europe for the next eighteen months as his health slowly deteriorated. I don't remember too much about that time with my father since I was so young, but I remember him. I remember how every night, even near the end when he was completely bedridden, we would sit together and I would practice my reading with him. Every day he made a point of telling me that he loved me and that he wished he had gotten to spend more time with me. He wanted to make sure that I knew that he didn't leave because of me, that none of it was my fault."

Celia took a deep breath and looked down again, "After he died, my mother had his body brought back to New York so he would be buried here. She was in a trance those first few days leading up to the funeral, and no one could get through to her. After the funeral she was a wreck and three days later, I came home from my first day back at school to find a bunch of suitcases waiting by the door. Before I could even ask a question, my mother sent me to my room to change and then we left. She brought me to the Basses building and put me in the elevator with my bags. She handed me a note to give to Blair, gave me a kiss goodbye and pressed the button for the penthouse. When I arrived, no one was home, except for the maid. Dorota looked worried when she saw me, but she quickly put a smile on her face and had me sit and eat some cookies until someone came home."

…

_Chuck arrived home promptly at five after another long day at the office. He knew his wife had taken the boys to get haircuts that afternoon and wouldn't be home when he arrived, but Blair had always been adamant that he arrive home at a decent hour so he could bond with his children before they ate dinner together as a family, and it was a hard habit to break._

_He strolled into the penthouse and handed his coat to the waiting Dorota. She looked nervous, which caused him to raise an eyebrow in question. The maid gestured to the sitting room, "Mr. Chuck, Miss Celia is here."_

_His brow furrowed and he noticed the suitcases sitting in the foyer. He was about to walk into the other room and talk to the young girl sitting on his couch, but just then the elevator opened and four brunette little boys came running out as Blair followed behind with their newest, infant son cradled against her chest while she yelled at the boys to take off their shoes and go wash their hands for dinner._

_Chuck walked over and gave his wife a soft kiss as Dorota took young Sebastian from Blair's arms. "Did you know about our guest this evening?" Chuck asked, causing Blair to look at him in confusion. He gestured towards the luggage, "Cece is here."_

_Blair's eyes widened, "What? Where?" _

_Chuck pointed into the other room, "On the couch." _

_Together the pair walked into the other room. At the sound of their approach, Celia looked up and smiled innocently, "Hi Aunt Blair. Hi Uncle Chuck." _

"_Hello, Cece. What are you doing here?" Blair asked kindly._

"_My mom dropped me off. Here, she told me to give this to you." The young girl said as she took an envelope from the table and handed it to Blair. Her smile fell as she asked, "Where did my mom go, Aunt Blair? We already found me daddy, she doesn't need to look for him anymore." _

_Blair's heart broke for the little girl before her. She handed the letter to Chuck, who immediately opened it and began to read while Blair sat down and put a comforting arm around Celia, "I don't know where she is, sweetie. But Uncle Chuck and I will find out." _

"_Okay." The girl nodded, "Why didn't she take me with? Was I bad last time?"_

"_Of course not!" Blair said quickly, "Your mom, she just-, well, she-"_

"_She just needed some time alone." Chuck finished for her._

"_Why?" Celia asked as she looked up at him questioningly._

_Chuck knelt down so he was eye-level with her, "Well, your mom is really sad and she misses your dad and she didn't want to make you sad too."_

_Blair had been able to figure out the gist of the letter from Chuck's response and she continued, "You know how when you are really sad sometimes and you want to be alone."  
_

_Celia nodded slowly, "I want to be a big girl. I don't want to cry in front of everyone."_

"_Right," Blair agreed, "Well your mommy wants to cry, but she doesn't want to do it in front of everyone either."  
"So she went away to cry?"_

"_Yes." _

"_When will she be back?" Celia questioned._

_Blair looked to Chuck, unsure if Serena had put a return date in her letter. When he shook his head ever so slightly, Blair looked back at the little girl, "I don't know sweetie, but as long as she is gone you are going to stay here and help me and Dorota keep all these boys in line, okay? We really need the help, we're outnumbered here!"_

_Celia smiled and nodded eagerly, "Okay" She said just as the boys came scrambling down the stairs._

"_Cece!" Hank said excitedly when he saw his best friend sitting on the couch. "Are you sleeping over?"_

_Before she could answer, Blair put an arm around her waist and pulled her close, "Yup," She told her son, "I think it's about time I had another girl around this house for a while, don't you?"_

_The boy shrugged his shoulders, "I guess." He then grabbed Celia's hand and pulled her to her feet, "Come on, let's go play in my room until dinner is ready."_

_The two children ran off as Chuck and Blair shared a worried glance. They were both well aware of Serena's tendency to run from pain and problems and they hoped that this time would be different; that she would return home before too long. _

…

Celia sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "My mom came home a few months later, but she didn't stay for long and ever since she has been in and out of the city. She will go away for weeks or months at a time and then one day I'll wake up and she will downstairs singing in the kitchen and making some toast. She stays for a few days or weeks or even occasionally a couple of months, but then I'll come home from school or wake up to find her packing or already gone. Her appearances are never planned and she always leaves unexpectedly."

"That must have been rough on you when you were younger." Lauren said sympathetically.

"Um, yeah, in a way it was. But I always had the stability of Hank and his family, so it made it all more bearable."

"Aren't you angry at your mom, after the way she left you?"

"No." Celia said quickly as her eyes snapped up to meet the other girl's, "I mean, I wish she had been around more often, but I can understand why she did what she did." Seeing the perplexed look on Lauren's face, Celia shrugged and continued, "I know what she is feeling. Both of my parents always felt the need to run from pain or change or fear and there are a lot of times I feel the exact same way. Running away is something that is in my blood. I've thought about leaving a bunch of times, but I've only managed to actually leave the city once."

"Oh?"

Celia nodded, "It was about a week before graduation and we were in a seniors-only assembly about the end of the year. I started thinking about how everything was going to be different after that week and I just freaked out. I stood up and left in the middle of the assembly." She looked down and picked at her cuticle, "To anyone else, it probably seemed like I was just going to the bathroom or something but Hank knew me. He followed me out and tried to catch up to me in the hall, but when I saw him coming I started to run. I ran outside and jumped into a cab before he could reach me and took off. I went home, threw some clothes in a bag and went straight to the airport and bought a ticket for the first international flight that was available. From the time I left school to when my flight took off, it was probably less than an hour, but when I landed in Milan a few hours later, I went to baggage claim only to find Hank standing there with my suitcase."

Lauren's eyes widened in disbelief, "What?"

Celia shook her head in amusement and chuckled softly, "As soon as I got in the cab at school, he knew what I was doing. He called one of the PIs and had him watch my credit card so he would know where I bought a ticket too. Then he called his dad and had the Bass jet fueled up and ready to go so it could leave as soon as he found out the destination. He went straight to the airport, without any clothes or luggage or anything and sat in the jet and waited for the call from the PI. As soon as I bought my ticket, he knew where I was going and he took off. He didn't have to sit through the long check-in or security lines or wait for the set departure time like I did, so he was able to beat me there." Her expression became more somber, "As soon as I saw him, I just fell into his arms crying."

…

_Hank smoothed down his girlfriend's hair as she cried into his shoulder. _

"_I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Hank." She kept repeating over and over._

"_Shh," He soothed her, "Don't apologize. I'm not angry."_

_She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, "You're not?"_

_He shook his head, "Nope. You were scared, I get it." He tilted his head down and stared deep into her eyes, "I know you, remember? I understand your need to run."_

_The tears started to fall down her cheeks again, "What did I ever do to deserve you? You're too good for me."_

_Hank smirked, "You know that's not true."_

_Celia opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off with a raised hand, "I do have one small request I would like to make."_

_She laughed bitterly, "After what I did today, you can ask for whatever you want."_

"_Next time you feel like you need to run away," He said tenderly, "take me with you."_

"_Hank-"_

"_Please, Celia. I don't care where we go or how long we're gone. I'll run anywhere with you, as long as I am _with you_."_

…

Lauren smiled softly, "You guys seem perfect for each other. Chuck and Blair must have been pushing you together since you were little."

Celia laughed, "It was more the opposite actually. They encouraged us to date other people."

"Really? why?"

"Apparently when Blair was younger, her parents pushed a relationship on her even after she realized that it really wasn't working and her and Chuck never wanted to do that to their own children. They never pressured us, but they have been supportive and happy ever since we got together. They just wanted to be sure we really wanted to be together and weren't doing it because we thought it was expected of us."

Lauren frowned, "They sound so intimidating. I'm so nervous to meet them."

Celia patted her knee with a kind smile, "Don't be. Chuck and Blair may seem tough, but deep down all they really want is for their children to be happy and anyone with eyes can see that you make CJ happier than he has ever been."

Lauren returned her smile half-heartedly, "I hope you're right…"


	3. Theories and Looks

A/N: So, this is the last chapter of like background stuff. I'm sorry if it is kind of slow or boring, but like I've explained to a few of my wonderful reviewers, I'm introducing a lot of new characters so I feel like I have to do a lot of set up stuff to establish them.

But don't worry, the next chapter is going to revolve around Chuck and Blair and it will introduce Lexie, who a few of you seem eager to meet! Lol

…

"So, is CJ like Hank?" Lauren asked casually as she examined her fingernails, "Does he have some super hot ex-girlfriend who is practically a second daughter to Chuck and Blair?"

Celia laughed, "No, no," She said through her giggles, "You don't have to worry, Hank is the only Bass boy to ever settle down with a girlfriend."

Lauren froze and looked at the other girl in confusion, "Wait, so before me, CJ-, he had never-"

"Oh, no, I didn't say _that_. He has been with _plenty_ of girls, trust me. He has just never had a girl that lasted more than a day or two. It's the Bass way." Celia said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, except for Hank. He has always been more like Blair; an old-fashioned romantic, doing everything for that fairytale ending. No matter how much I try to screw it up." Celia shook her head and smiled before she continued, "But the others, except for the two youngest, they don't really have an opinion yet, but for the rest you could say that they are, um, I guess the right word would be _guarded_. I would say skeptical, but when you spend that much time around Chuck and Blair, you can't doubt the existence of true, lasting love."

"So they are 'guarded'?" Lauren asked skeptically.

Celia laughed, "Yea, I mean, I guess. But their views are all a little bit different. Like, Fitz knows that love is real and everything, but he doesn't think it is for everyone. He is fully convinced that it isn't for him and that he'll never fall in love."

Lauren frowned, "That is a little pessimistic for a twelve year old."

"Yeah it is, but after everything he has been through, he is pretty mature for his age." Seeing Lauren's continued frown, Celia tried to lighten the mood, "Don't worry, Fitz is still young. His opinion could still change."

"I guess you're right," Lauren sighed. "But that's not how CJ feels about love, I'm sure of that."

"Your right," Celia said slowly, "CJ is more in line with the twin's point of view."

"Sleep with as many girls as he can?" Lauren asked skeptically, "I don't mean to criticize you opinion, but I don't think that's how CJ feels either…"

"No," Celia quickly agreed, "That's not what I meant. Yes, the twins don't really ever spend more than one night with a girl, but CJ used to be the same way."  
"What?"

"I mean, he was a bit nicer about it. Sometimes he would take them out on a date and sometimes he would actually talk to them and try to get to know them a little."

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Wow, what a gentleman." She said sarcastically.

Celia raised a brow, "Compared to what the twins do that is gentlemanly." She laughed slightly before she continued, "Anyway, Ed and Theo both think of being in love and in a relationship as something that will happen eventually, but it's not something they are looking for right now. They think that they are too young to worry about 'true love'-"

"Which is a valid point," Lauren added with a slight nod.

"-and while they are young," Celia continued, "they firmly believe they should enjoy as many different woman as possible. Ed and Theo think of love as something that isn't relevant to them now, even if it is staring them right in the face, and they'll deal with it when they are older."

"And that is how CJ feels?"

Celia smirked at the other girl, "No, _felt_ would be the correct word to use there, but even then the answer would still be no. I said CJ's view was similar to the twins, not the same. CJ has always believed that when he found the girl who would be 'the one' he would know. He didn't know what it would feel like or when he would know, but he was confident that when he fell in love he would know it and he wouldn't have doubts. I think deep down he is a little more like Hank than we all realize. I think he always kind of wanted to just settle down with one girl, but he didn't want to waste his time in a relationship he knew wouldn't work out. He only had all those one-night stands because he hadn't found a girl that he thought would stick, but he didn't want to be alone."

"So," Lauren began hesitantly, "You think I'm going to stick?"

"Sweetie, I think you're already stuck." Celia said kindly, "Don't you get it? The fact that he has brought you home is, like, a huge deal! CJ has never introduced a girl to his parents. None of them have ever lasted this long. Whatever feeling he was looking for, he obviously found it with you," Celia said with a shrug, "I can guarantee you that he thinks you two are forever." Seeing Lauren's wide eyes, Celia quickly continued, "And don't freak out about that. I'm sure he won't do anything about it until he is sure you are ready. And don't try to run away from it either. Once the Bass men realize you are what they want; what they are meant to have, they won't let you escape. If you run out of fear he'll chase you down. As long as he believes you still love him, he'll keep going after you."

Lauren groaned and dropped her head into her hands, "I don't know how to respond to that. I mean, its romantic, but it is so _intense_. I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Celia patted her back, "Just don't worry about it; pretend I never told you. Nothing has changed. CJ is still CJ and I can tell you love him, so just roll with it."

"I guess you're right," Lauren sighed, "If he has really felt this way all along, he hasn't done anything too overbearing so far, so maybe I'm just freaking out over nothing."

"You are." Celia agreed, "So let's change the subject. I'm guessing that since CJ has kept you in the dark on just about everything regarding his family, he hasn't shown you any pictures yet."

"No he hasn't! I mean, I've looked up pictures of his parents online, but they were all sketchy paparazzi pictures. And I have no idea what any of his siblings look like. I just keep imagining all of his brothers looking like him."

Celia laughed, "I hate to break it to you, but your imagination is a little off." The blonde girl reached behind her and picked up a picture frame from the nearby table. "Here, look at this," She said as she handed it to Lauren, "It's a portrait the Basses had taken this past summer."

Lauren looked at the picture of the good-looking family, all dressed to the nines with Chuck and Blair seated in the middle and a little girl perched on their lap.

"Oh, you and CJ weren't lying. Lexie really is the cutest little thing!" Lauren exclaimed when she spotted the small girl. She looked like a little doll, with porcelain skin and long, wavy brown hair. She was sitting primly with a charming smile but she had dark, slanting eyes that gave her a hint of mischief.

"Yeah, she is. She is the only one who is all Blair. She walks like her, talks like her, acts like her. All the boys saunter into a room just like their father with the trademark Bass smirk, and then Lexie comes along as a perfect little princess looking exactly like her mother, except that she has Chuck's eyes, which makes her look just a little less innocent."

"Oh my God, they _are_ all smirking!" Lauren said as she looked at the picture. When she looked up, Celia was giving her the same look that she had seen in the picture, "Oh my God, you have it too! What, is it contagious?"

The smirk on Celia's face only grew, "No, no. This is the one physical trait I inherited from my father. No, that look is competently different, and completely Bass."

Lauren nodded in understanding as she further examined the picture. Chuck and Blair were a bit older than the pictures she had seen online, but they were still a very attractive, intimidating couple. As she looked over the picture, she noticed that while all the boys did not look completely alike, they all shared the same strong jaw line and cheek bones which they had obviously inherited from their father.

She had previously noted that CJ and Hank didn't blatantly look alike, and now she realized why. CJ looked a lot like his father, except he had Blair's lips while Hank had all of Blair's facial features but Chuck's facial structure.

"You obviously know CJ and Hank," Celia said as she gestured to the two boys in the picture, "And on either side of them are the twins."

"Wow, they look exactly like Chuck."

Celia chuckled softly, "Yes, everyone always says that they are younger versions of their father, in both their looks and their actions. And Ricky is the same way. Once he is a little bit older I'm sure they will all be mistaken for triplets."

Lauren looked at the younger boy Celia was pointing too and nodded in agreement, "He does look a lot like them." She studied the last boy in the picture and frowned slightly, "Is Fitz adopted?"

"What?"

Lauren pointed to the little blonde boy in the picture, "Well, look at him! He doesn't look anything like anyone else in the family. He has blonde hair and wide eyes, but not like Blair's. Plus, he's so tiny! I mean, isn't he older than Ricky? In this picture he looks like he is a few inches shorter than him."

Celia nodded, "Yes, he is older, but he is just smaller because his growth was affected when he was sick."

Lauren looked confused, "What do you mean, when he was sick?"

Celia tilted her head and looked at the other girl, "CJ really didn't tell you anything, did he?"

Lauren raised her hands and groaned in frustration, "No, he ddin't!"

"Wow," the blonde girl said, "I'm really surprised he didn't tell you this."

"Tell me what?" Lauren asked in exasperation.

"Well, I don't want to go into too much detail, I think you should ask CJ about that, but when Fitz was like seven or eight he was diagnosed with leukemia."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah," Celia said seriously, "He is in remission now, but that is why he is a bit smaller than the rest of the boys."

"But that doesn't explain that fact that he looks absolutely nothing like anyone else in the family."

Celia smiled, "That's not entirely true. If you look, he does have Chuck's strong jaw line, just like the other boys. But otherwise, you're right. He doesn't look like Chuck or Blair. And for the first, like, year after he was born they wondered where his looks came from. Chuck always joked about getting a paternity test. But then one day he must have done something that annoyed little Fitz and he gave Chuck a look that instantly cleared it all up." Celia paused and laughed quietly, "I still remember that day Blair was helping me with my homework when Chuck came in with Fitz in his arms and the most shocked look on his face. Blair asked him what was wrong and he told her that Fitz was his father; that he finally realized that the baby looked exactly like Bart Bass, or what he imagined a baby Bart Bass had looked like."

"Does Chuck not look like his father?" Lauren asked.

"Not at all!" Celia laughed, "Chuck took after his mother mostly, but I found some pictures of Bart from before he died and I can see the resemblance in Fitz."

"Huh," Lauren said thoughtfully as she continued to look at the family portrait, "I guess I'll take your word for it."

"Gee, thanks," Celia said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, "I'm glad you trust me."

"What choice do I have?" Lauren asked teasingly, "You are about the only one around here who will actually tell me anything."

The two girls laughed together before Celia went to pull out some more pictures to show the other girl.


	4. Meetings

A few hours later, the girls were just arriving at the Bass household. As the elevator climbed up to the penthouse, Lauren began biting at her lips anxiously. Celia smiled when she saw the other girl's fear and patted her arm comfortingly, "You will be fine. Just relax."

When the elevator doors opened, Hank and CJ were standing there waiting for them. CJ recognized immediately that Lauren was nervous, so he leaned down to give her a kiss and squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Don't worry, Babe." He told her with a calming smile. Lauren tried to smile back but it came out as more of a grimace.

Before they could take a step further into the house, a brunette little girl came running in. "Cece!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around the blonde girl's legs.

Celia kneeled down so she could give the girl a hug, "Hi, Lexie."

Lexie looked around and noticed Lauren for the first time. She leaned in close to Celia and whispered behind her hand loud enough for them all to hear, "Cece, who is that?" She asked, pointing towards Lauren.

"That is CJ's friend from school. Her name is Lauren." Celia explained patiently. "Why don't you introduce yourself to your guest?"

Lexie looked hesitantly at Celia, but when she gave her an encouraging smile, the little girl stepped forward. She stood straight and proud as she looked up at Lauren, "Hello," she said formally, "I'm Alexandra Eleanor Lillian Bass. Welcome to our house."

Lauren stifled a laugh as she bent down and shook the little girl's hand, "My name is Lauren and thank you for having me." She smiled at Lexie, "I like your dress. It is very pretty."

Lexie's face broke out in a grin and she grabbed at the hem of her dress, "Thank you. It's a Waldorf Original. My mommy got it especially for today."

At that moment, a man walked down the stairs that Lauren immediately recognized to be Chuck and came over to the group in the foyer. Lexie rushed over to him and jumped into his arms.

"Daddy, I met CJ's friend." She said as she pointed towards Lauren, "Her name is Lauren and she is really nice. She told me that she likes my new dress!"

"Well it is a beautiful dress." Chuck said with an amused look on his face, "Did you say thank you?"

"Yes I did," Lexie said with a curt nod, "I am a good hostess, just like mommy."

"Of course you are. Your mother taught you well." Chuck said as he carried her over to the four college students. "Hello, Cece." He said before he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Chuck. How are you?"

"I'm doing well." He said as he turned to face CJ and Lauren, "And you must be Lauren."

"Y-yes, sir," Lauren stuttered. CJ put his hand on the small of her back reassuringly, "Thanks-, thank you for having me, Mr. Bass."

Chuck's lips twitched with amusement, "It is no trouble at all. We are certainly glad to have you here." He said as he set Lexie back on the ground and took the little girl's hand, "Come in, everyone is waiting to meet you."

Chuck couldn't restrain the smirk that formed when he saw Lauren's face fall as CJ did his best to assure her that she was doing great.

Chuck led them into the sitting room where Blair was waiting with the rest of the boys. When they entered the room, Blair and the boys stood up and came forward. CJ went around and introduced Lauren to each one of his family members. After the introduction, Blair smiled at her politely. The twins simply smirked as they looked her up and down before they nodded in approval towards CJ. Ricky said an impatient hello before he asked if he could be excused and Fitz stared at his feet as he greeted her while he snuck peeks at her through his lashes when he thought she wasn't looking.

After the introductions were made, most of the family scattered while they waited for Blair's father and Eric to arrive, leaving CJ, Lauren, Chuck and Blair alone together in the sitting room.

Chuck and Blair asked Lauren a bunch of questions about her family and her studies; questions that according to Celia they already knew the answers too, but Lauren answered them all anyway.

Throughout the conversation, Lauren could not stop watching the interaction between Chuck and Blair. They were sitting close together on the couch; Chuck had one arm around Blair's waist and his other hand was resting on top of hers which was placed on his thigh. His fingers were constantly trailing the back of her hand or tracing circles on her palm and whenever she spoke he would watch her intently and pull her a little bit tighter against him.

While they were talking, Lexie came back into the room and pulled herself into Chuck's lap. She immediately demanded her father's attention and began telling him an elaborate story about a princess and a castle and a dragon that she had created while she was playing in her room.

Lauren watched the little girl speak and she was stunned by Chuck's response. He seemed to be completely enraptured by the girl's story and he listened as if he was hanging on to her each and every word.

Lauren could not believe that the man who had just been all business and practically interrogating her could be listening to a four year old's ramblings only moments later as if it was the most important breaking news on Wall Street.

Lexie paused in her story and unintentionally made eye contact with Lauren. The little girl blushed and buried her face in her father's neck. She peeked out at Lauren a moment later and then poked Chuck's chest to get his attention. She held up her hand and whispered in what she thought was a quiet voice, "Daddy, do you think, um, - " she hesitated, unable to remember the older girl's name.

"Lauren," Chuck filled in for her.

"Yeah, Lauren," Lexie nodded her head as she continued; "Do you think she wants to see my room?"

Chuck smirked as he looked at Lauren briefly, "Well, I don't know, Princess. You would have to ask Lauren that yourself."

Lexie sighed dramatically before she stood up and smoothed down her dress. She walked over to Lauren and stood up straight as she asked primly, "Would you like to go upstairs and see my room?"

Lauren smiled kindly at the girl, "I would love to, Alexandra."

Lexie grinned widely and grabbed Lauren's hand once she stood up. As she lead the older girl out of the room, Lexie told her, "You know, you can call me Lexie if you want to. That's what my family calls me."

"Okay, Lexie." Lauren said as she looked back at her boyfriend with raised eyebrows. CJ nodded back at her with a slight smirk, showing that he was impressed.

…

While Lauren was gone, Chuck and Blair took the opportunity to tell CJ what they thought about his girlfriend.

"She seems nice enough," Blair said, "Although her wardrobe choices are a bit questionable. I mean, it's obvious that her dress is from American Eagle or Hollister or some other low quality brand."  
"Mom…" CJ warned.

"What? I'm just saying, her outfit is a little informal, don't you think?" Blair asked innocently.

"No, I don't think so." CJ said angrily, "This isn't a formal dinner party, Mom. We're just here-"

Chuck cleared his throat loudly, quieting CJ and preventing the potential argument from escalating. "She seems genuine," He said after a moment, "And my P.I. didn't find anything suspicious in her background.

CJ rolled his eyes, "I'm glad she has the P.I.'s approval. That's really what I was worried about."

Chuck snorted in amusement and Blair smiled slightly before she leaned forward and patted her son's knee, "We approve too, Charles. She seems to be a very nice girl and it's obvious that you two love each other very much."

CJ smiled softly at her, "Thanks, Mom."


	5. Let In

A/N: Hi. I've said this before, but I would just like to say again, I am not a medical expert. Please do not hold me accountable for any mistakes. Hahaha.

Enjoy the chapter! And please review!

…..

Lexie's bedroom was the epitome of a little girl's paradise. There was a giant, three-story doll house in one corner, a whole wardrobe of dress-up clothes in another, and dozens of dolls and stuffed animals scattered throughout the room.

After Lexie took Lauren on the grand tour and showed her everything in her room, she pulled Lauren onto the floor amongst the dolls to play with her. They dressed the dolls up in elaborate outfits and had the handsome prince save them from the green stuffed dragon toy.

Just when Lauren thought she was going to be stuck in Lexie's room playing princess and dragons for the rest of the night, there was a knock on the door and CJ stuck his head in.

"Lexie, Grandpa Harold and Grandpa Roman are here. They're looking for you. Grandpa Harold wants to see the beautiful dress you have been telling him about." He said once he had fully opened the door and stepped into the room.

Lexie's face lit up and she squealed as she darted around her brother and out of the room. Lauren stood up a bit slower and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Thank you." She said with relief as CJ took her hand and led her out of the room, which caused him to throw his head back and laugh. He knew Lexie could be a bit enthusiastic about her games, and he was proud of Lauren for putting up with her for that long.

After Lauren met Harold and Roman, who were both extremely kind and welcoming, everyone had just begun to settle back down when the elevator chimed, announcing the arrival of another guest.

A short, dirty blonde-haired man strolled in with a wide grin. "Hello, everyone." He said from the doorway where he stood.

"Eric," Blair said warmly as she rose from her seat and crossed the room to greet him, "It's so good to see you."

But before she could get across the room, Eric reached out the door behind him, "I brought a surprise," He said as he pulled a tall, stunning blonde woman into the doorway with him.

Lauren knew immediately that the woman was Celia's mother, even before Blair screeched, "Serena!" and hurried into the arms of the unexpected guest.

Celia looked exactly like her mother, except for the fact that Celia's lips tended to curve into a slightly mischievous smirk while Serena was sporting a large, dazzling smile.

After she recovered from the shock of seeing her mother, Celia jumped up and rushed over to Serena, "Mom! What are you doing here?" She asked as she hugged her.

"Well," Serena began, with her smile still firmly in place, "I was in London yesterday when I realized that tomorrow is Thanksgiving. You know how it always slips my mind, since it's an American holiday. So since I actually remembered it this year, I thought it would be good to spend it with my family for once."

Celia stayed by her mother's side the rest of the night, and Lauren noticed that she looked absolutely thrilled and she was totally beaming with happiness.

….

After drinks and dinner at the Basses', Celia, Lauren, and CJ returned to Celia's apartment while Serena went out with Eric to meet his latest boyfriend.

CJ and Lauren were laying on the bed in the guest room that Lauren was staying in, just relaxing after their stressful first day in New York.

"So, what did you think?" CJ asked, "Was my family as scary as you thought they would be?"

"Your parents? Yes, even more so, actually." She teased as she propped her head on her hand and looked down at him as he laughed, "But, despite the fact that I was scared shitless the entire day, I liked them. I'm glad I got to meet them."

"I'm glad you met them too." CJ smiled, "I don't know if you realize what a big deal this was to my family."

"Celia may have clued me in a bit," She said as she idly played with the buttons on his shirt.

CJ's brows rose, "Oh did she?"

"Yeah," Lauren smiled nervously and avoided his gaze for a moment, "She also mentioned something about Fitz being sick a few years ago." She looked back at her boyfriend and saw his jaw set in a hard line, "She didn't say much, she just told me I would have to ask you about it. If you don't want to tell me, I understand. I just know you two are close, so I thought…"

Lauren trailed off as CJ sat up and ran a hand over his face. "Fitz is-, well, he has always been a bit different than the rest of us," CJ began, "He is the only one who is really into art and photography, and he has a lot of talent for it. My parents, they were always more practical and business-oriented, so Fitz is kind of the odd one out."

He sighed, "I think it always made me-, us, more protective of him, especially since he was always so shy and timid. And then when he got sick…" He shook his head, "It was just really hard on the whole family. And it made me see an entirely different side of my parents."

"My mom has always been a very hands-on parent, and I told you how we never had any nannies or anything, but she had always left the dirtier stuff, like the bloody knees and the runny noses, to Dorota. You saw how put-together my mom is," He said with a fond smile, "It wasn't that she didn't care about our injuries, she just didn't want to deal with the mess. She would let Dorota patch us up and then once the band-aid was firmly in place she would hold us and kiss it all better."

He paused and became more serious, "But when Fitz got sick, all of that went out the window. She would climb right up into his hospital bed after the chemo treatments in her tight, fitted Waldorf Originals, even when she was pregnant, and sit him in her lap. She would hold him and rub his back to sooth him while he threw up." He shook his head as he stared off, remembering, "Before Fitz was diagnosed, I don't remember my mom ever even seeing one of us spit up as babies without frowning in disgust and immediately calling Dorota to clean it up. But at the hospital she didn't look disgusted at all or even the least bit uncomfortable. Sometimes, when the vomiting would go on for awhile, she would look like she wanted to cry, but she was always so strong and she stayed completely focused on comforting Fitz."

"And then my dad…" He took a deep breath before he continued, "He has always been so stoic, so composed. He's a pillar of strength, never breaking down for anything, not even in the most difficult times. But I can still remember when Fitz had to get all those shots and tests done and have his blood drawn; my dad would have to hold him down while Fitz would just be screaming in fear and pain. My dad would have to stand by while Fitz begged him to help him; to stop them from hurting him. My dad has always been the protector of the family and for once, there was nothing he could do to stop his child's pain. He had to let them hurt him so he could get better."

CJ pressed his palms to his eyes and Lauren scooted closer to him, rubbing her hand up and down his back until he continued, "As soon as the treatments or shots were over, dad would always have to escape out into the hall. He didn't want anyone to see him break down, especially not Fitz, but it was hard for him to deal with it all."

He spaced out again, "I saw him once, afterward in the hall. I was watching from around the corner as he paced back and forth and pinched the bridge of his nose to keep himself together. Once Fitz had calmed down and fallen asleep, my mother came out and joined him in the hall and my dad just collapsed into her arms. I had never seen anything like that from him. He buried his face in her neck and his shoulders just shook with sobs. My mother cried too. I could see her face and she had tears trailing silently down her cheeks. I think those moments were their one opportunity to let out the hurt and helplessness they felt at seeing Fitz in so much pain. It would only last a minute, and then my dad would wipe his eyes and stand up straight again. I know he never intended for anyone to see him like that besides my mom, but I'm glad I did. Seeing my parents throughout the whole ordeal and how they reacted, it really changed my perspective on them."  
"How so?" Lauren asked quietly.

"I don't know how to explain it," He said, "It just-, it showed how deeply they love us, you know? Like, no matter how proper and serious they may be sometimes, they really just want what's best for us. I always knew that's how they felt, but to see such tangible evidence; to see such pain at the suffering of one of their children; it really showed me how great their love was." CJ shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know; it just made me appreciate them even more, if that makes sense."

Lauren smiled softly and placed her hand on his cheek, "It makes total sense."

CJ returned her smile, "Okay, is that enough of an explanation for you?"

"Yes," She said as she leaned in so her lips were inches from his, "Thank you for letting me in."

He closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply, "For you, babe, anytime."


	6. The Vanderbilts

A/N: So, there was supposed to be a fairly hot (by my own judgment) C/B scene at the end of this chapter, but it just got to be super super long, so I decided to split it up. I think I'm going to make that scene its own chapter next, so then the next two chapters will be most C/B (the one after that will be a flashback to their engagement. I already have it basically written and I can't wait to post it!). But this chapter introduces probably my favorite Bass child and his love interest.

Also, as you will notice, I didn't ignore the season 3 finale in this story. I had the pairings mapped out way before the finale aired and as much as I just wanted to eliminate Jenny completely, she doesn't have the major of a role, so I just decided to leave it. The situation will be addressed more in the flashback chapter.

….

Thanksgiving the next day went well. It was a big family event, with Chuck and Blair and all of their children, Harold and Roman, Dorota and Vanya and their children, and Eric, Serena, and Celia. Apparently Blair's mother was in Paris working on her new line and was unable (unwilling?) to come back to New York for the holiday.

Chuck and Blair seemed to have gotten their interrogation of Lauren out of the way the day before, so while she still felt like she needed to be on her very best behavior in order to impress them, Lauren thought there was slightly less pressure on her than there had been the day before. Plus, there were so many people in the apartment that Lauren felt like she could just blend in to the crowd a little bit more than she had previously.

The next day they all had to go to the annual Vanderbilt start of the holiday's party. According to Celia and CJ, it was one of the most talked about and important events of the season and everyone who is anyone would be there.

But as soon as they woke up the day of the party, Celia and Lauren realized that they were alone in the penthouse. Serena was gone.

She had left a note for Celia, saying that while it had been nice to be home for the holiday and with family, it had all just gotten to be too much. According to her note she was heading to Santorini, which Celia said had been a special place for her parents.

Celia tried to seem unaffected by Serena's sudden departure, but Lauren could tell that she was a bit upset.

When Lauren asked her about it, Celia just shrugged, "At least she was here for the holiday," she said, "which is more than I was expecting. The last time I saw my mom was when she was here for my graduation, and she only stayed for a few hours, just enough time to see the ceremony and take a few pictures."

Lauren frowned, but she let the issue drop. She didn't want to make Celia any more upset. She couldn't imagine living a life like Celia had, never knowing where her mother was or when she would be back; to spend one day with her and see it as a significant amount of time.

When the girls and the Bass family arrived at the Vanderbilt party, the Basses were pulled into conversations with a variety of friends and acquaintances, leaving Celia and Lauren on their own.

Celia explained to Lauren that the Vanderbilts were a very prominent, old money family in New York and they had been throwing this party as a sort of kick-off to the holiday season for years. It used to be thrown by William Vanderbilt, but ever since he had passed away his grandson, Senator Trip Vanderbilt had taken over the hosting duties.

"Wait," Lauren cut in, "isn't that Will's dad?"

Celia looked confused for a moment before she understood, "Oh, yes, I forgot. Of course you know Trip's son Will. He goes to Yale too."

"And he's CJ's best friend." Lauren pointed out.

Celia nodded, "Yeah, those two have been inseparable since they were like five, so obviously CJ would have introduced you to him." Celia looked up and smiled, "Speak of the devil."

Lauren turned around and was instantly swallowed up into the giant arms of William Vanderbilt IV. She squealed as he picked her up and spun her around, causing a few people to turn and stare, but they quickly dismissed the rambunctious young people and returned to their conversation. "Well, well, well, I never imagined I would find little small town Lauren at one of my parent's fancy-shmancy parties. You must really love my scoundrel of a best friend." Will said once he had set Lauren back on her feet.

Lauren laughed, "Yeah, well I thought it was about time I saw what all the hype was about."

"Doesn't it just blow all those Yale parties right out of the water with all its fun and excitement?" Will asked with a roll of his eyes, "So where is that handsome boyfriend of yours anyway?"

Lauren looked around the room and spotted CJ talking in a small group with his father and a few older men who looked to be business associates, "There he is," she said, pointing her finger discreetly.

Will spotted his friend and then looked back at the two girls and smiled, "Okay, well it was nice to see you, ladies, but I have some things to discuss with Charles Junior, so if you will excuse me."

He sauntered away as both Lauren and Celia shook their heads and chuckled quietly.

All of a sudden, Celia urgently poked Lauren's shoulder, "Oh, oh, look over there," She whispered, directing Lauren's gaze over to two tall beautiful girls talking together across the room, "Do you see those two girls? That's Anne Archibald and Emily Vanderbilt."

Lauren looked at the girls. One was tall and thin, with long blonde hair, dancing blue eyes and an easy smile. The other was more serious, but just as beautiful. She had strawberry blonde hair and a confident air about her. "Yeah, I see them. Who are they?"

Celia smirked, "They are the girls that are going to tame the Bass twins."

Lauren looked back and forth between the blonde girl beside her and the two teenage girls across the room, "What!"

Celia laughed as she explained, "Anne and Emily are cousins, well, actually they are technically second cousins, but anyway, they are considered by many here in New York to be the 'next Blair and Serena,' whatever that means. But more importantly, they are the closest thing to female friends that the twins have, and I am completely convinced that they are the girls that will finally get Ed and Theo to settle down."

"Emily is the daughter of Trip and Maureen. She is all about appearances and living up to her Vanderbilt name and she is pretty much the closest thing to perfect you can find. She is the top of her class, the head of a million different committees, and the prime example of everything a senator could ever want in a daughter. She is aware of the attention she gets as Trip's daughter and she makes sure she doesn't do anything scandalous. She knows she is basically royalty in New York; the best of the best, and she'll make sure you don't forget it. She is the same age as the twins and she has two older brothers, one of them being your friend Will. She has dated and had boyfriends or whatever, but among her peers she is typically considered to be 'untouchable.'"

"Untouchable?" Lauren asked in confusion.

"Yup," Celia nodded, "You can't sleep with her. She's pure, a good girl, _untouchable_. She's too worried about her reputation to go around sleeping with a bunch of different guys. She's an ice queen, which is why Ed is so into her."

Lauren's brow rose in confusion, but Celia just continued, "And Anne is the daughter of Trip's cousin Nate Archibald and his wife Jenny. Nate is Chuck's best friend and Jenny is a fashion designer. Chuck and Blair don't really like her that much, and she seems to feel the same way about them. I don't know exactly what happened between the three of them; that is one story that no one would ever tell me, but things are always awkward when their families get together. Usually Nate just brings Anne and her sister over when Jenny is away on business."

Celia looked around and then leaned in closer to Lauren, "Personally, my theory is that Chuck slept with Jenny at some point after him and Blair had been together, like during one of their many break ups. After seeing how each of them reacts when they interact, that would be my guess. Blair is always blatantly condescending and spiteful, Jenny is usually bitter and uncomfortable, and Chuck is apathetic and treats Jenny like she is nothing, like the scum beneath his shoe."

"And Nate?"

"Nate is oblivious," Celia said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "Or he just tries to smooth over the tension. Anyway, Anne is a year older than Emily and the twins and sometimes for fun she models for Jenny's line. Emily could totally model too, but she doesn't think modeling is something someone of her standing should be doing." Celia rolled her eyes before she continued, "Anne is a lot like her dad and not at all like her mom. She is wild and carefree. She just wants to have a good time and have everyone get along. She's a free spirit and just kind of takes things as they come. She doesn't really care about money and social standing and living up to her Archibald name."

"And she is Theo's girl?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, well, I don't know, kind of. I mean, their relationship is weird. You see, unlike Ed and Emily, Anne and Theo have already hooked up, a couple times actually. She's the one he lost his virginity too."

"What? How do you know that?"

Celia shrugged, "The Bass brothers talk. From what I know, at Emily's fourteenth birthday party they were playing spin the bottle and Anne and Theo ended up kissing and then shortly after they disappeared together. I don't know if it was her first time. It might have been, but who knows? Anyway, like I said, their relationship is weird. They both obviously like each other and whenever they are together they have this undeniable chemistry, and they tend to end up hooking up when they get a little drunk at parties, but they aren't 'together' and they both go out and hook up with other people. I guess it's because neither of them are really into relationships." Celia shook her head, showing her befuddlement at the situation, "I don't know. I don't think I'll ever understand. But everyone knows they are meant to be. Whenever they get over their fear or whatever it is that is keeping them from committing, it is obvious they will be together."

Lauren still seemed confused, but she pushed forward, "But Emily and Ed are different?"

Celia laughed, "Oh yes. They are very different. Emily and Ed are so stubborn, she won't even admit that she has feelings for him and he has managed to convince himself that he only wants to sleep with her."

"Does she know that?"

"Of course," Celia said simply, "He is not exactly subtle with his seduction techniques. But she won't give in to him, she is tougher than that. She knows what sleeping with Ed Bass would do to her reputation, and that is something she definitely wants to avoid."

"So then how do you know they will end up together, if any sort of relationship is never going to happen?"

"Oh it will happen." Celia said confidently, "I told you, Emily is just being stubborn, because she knows what everyone will say and she doesn't want the scrutiny, so she has made even herself think that she is not into him and that he is disgusting. And Ed just loves a challenge. The more she resists, the more he wants her."

Lauren looked skeptical, so Celia explained, "You see, the twins, once you really get to know them, you realize that they are very similar but there are some subtle differences. You probably haven't noticed, but while both boys are always really put together, Theo spends just a tad bit longer on his appearance, you know, choosing and outfit and fixing his hair. I mean, Ed still looks great too, but he doesn't make such an effort, and I guess he doesn't really have to because he has a little more game than Theo. That boy is one smooth talker. He can get pretty much any girl into bed with him after just one short conversation."

"Except Emily," Lauren pointed out.

Celia nodded, "Well that's the thing, the differences in the twins are reflected in their choice of women. Theo always goes for the stunning, model-y types. He just wants girls that want to have a good time; girls like Anne, who don't get attached and know a hook-up is a hook-up and nothing more. But Ed, he loves a challenge. He can get girls so easily, that when one resists and he has to work for it, it is all the more fun to him. He just loves the chase. So if there are two girls for Ed and Theo to go after, Theo will take the one who is usually more scantily dressed and fun and Ed will go after the one who is more closed off and is playing hard to get."

Lauren didn't look convinced, "If Ed loves the chase so much, how do you know he won't be done with Emily once she gives in to him?"

"I don't," Celia shrugged, "But I'm pretty confident that he won't. Those two are a lot like his parents. Their interaction, their banter, it just reminds me of Chuck and Blair and it is what I imagine them being like when they were younger."

Lauren laughed and shook her head, "Okay, whatever you say, Celia."

….

A/N: Ugh, so after writing this, I totally fell in love with Will, even though his part was really tiny. Lol. But I think he would be really hard for me to write and I have no idea how to give him a bigger part in the story. Ugh, maybe I'll make him fall in love with Lexie in the future. Haha just kidding….kind of…

Please review!


	7. Encounter

A/N: This chapter is really short, but like I said in the previous chapter, this scene was supposed to be in the last chapter, but it just got to be too long, so here it is! I feel like I may have been hyping this up, so I hope it lives up to any expectations I may have created =/

Please review and let me know!

…..

A few hours into the party, Lauren had to excuse herself to go and use the ladies' room. The bathroom was down the hall from the grand ballroom where the party was being held, and when Lauren turned the corner to return to the event, she quickly turned around and watched from behind the wall when she saw CJ's parents emerge from the ballroom doors looking extremely angry.

Chuck had pulled Blair through the doors and once they assumed they were alone in the hall, Blair wrenched her wrist out of his grasp, "Get your hands off of me, Bass."

But once she had freed her arm, Chuck trapped his wife against the wall, "I told you not to wear that dress." He said darkly as he glared at her.

Blair glared right back at him, "Must I remind you, oh dear husband of mine, that you bought me this dress?"

"Yes, I remember, and you look positively delectable in it." He said as he looked her up and down. The dress was a dark crimson color and completely backless. It was floor length and clung to all of her curves in all the right places. Lauren had to admit that Blair looked absolutely amazing.

Blair's brow rose, "So why exactly should I not be wearing this dress? Is this some sort of possessive, male ego bullshit? Am I not allowed to be sexy anymore? What, am I too _old_ for this dress? Or because I'm a mother, am I not supposed to look good?" She was getting angry by the second and was pointing her finger in Chuck's face, "Well let me tell you, Charles Bartholomew Bass, I can do-"

But before she could continue her rant, Chuck cut her off with a passionate kiss. In a matter of moments, Blair went from pushing him away to gripping him closer and just when Lauren thought things were about to go from PG-13 to R rated and she would be stuck awkwardly waiting in this hall trying not to listen to them for quite a bit of time, the two brunettes broke apart.

"Stop being ridiculous, lover," Chuck panted as he tried to catch his breath, "Under normal circumstances, you know I would be encouraging you to wear this lovely Valentino creation that I bought for you. But as I told you earlier, I had some very important business to take care of today. There are some key clients here that I needed to speak with in order to set up a major deal."

Blair rolled her eyes and looked skeptical, "Yes, I remember, but what does that have to do with me and my dress?" Her face morphed in anger again, "And you better not say that my appearance embarrassed you in front of your clients."

"Please," Chuck scoffed, "That could not be further from the truth. You know how much I enjoy showing off my hot as hell wife. The problem was, these men weren't exactly my idea of the ideal company for the evening. So how was I supposed to concentrate on their boring, never-ending small talk when you were standing right across the room looking so fucking sexy? All I have been able to think about since you emerged from our room dressed like that is ripping this expensive silk from your body and taking you right then and there." He said as he fingered the material of her dress delicately.

Blair was extremely turned on as she stared at her husband with wide eyes and asked him breathlessly, "So what are we doing here? Why aren't you in there, talking to your big, important clients?"

Chuck smirked, "Surprisingly, I underestimated my own charm and ability to operate under pressure." He leaned in close to her so their lips were almost touching, "The meeting is set for Tuesday. I'm free of them for the rest of the night."

"Good." She whispered just before she pulled his face to hers and kissed him deeply. He gripped her hips tightly and Lauren watched as they fumbled for a moment before they got the nearest door open and disappeared into the empty room.

Lauren could still not believe what she had just witnessed as she made her way back into the ballroom and over to her boyfriend, Celia, and Hank. CJ had said that his parents were passionate, but she still hadn't been prepared for what she had seen. They had been more like horny teenagers than a middle-aged married couple of over twenty years.

She must have had a shocked and dazed look on her face because as soon as she sat down, CJ leaned over and placed his hand on her knee, "Hey, babe, are you alright?"

Lauren nodded slightly without looking at him, "Yes. I just-, I just witnessed your parents in a bit of an argument."

CJ and Hank shared a knowing grin, "About what?" CJ asked her in an amused tone.

"About what your mom was wearing," Lauren said as she looked up at her boyfriend, "And before I knew what was happening they weren't even fighting anymore. They were-, they were making out!"

Hank snickered behind his hand and CJ full out laughed at her shock. "How much did you see?" He asked as he continued to chuckle.

"I'm glad this is funny to you." Lauren said indignantly.

"Oh come on, Laur," He said good-naturedly, "I warned you that this may happen."

She sighed, "I guess you're right. It was just not what I was expecting. Their relationship just seemed so new and fresh and _intense_."

"Yes, our parents do tend to be quite intense when they are alone together." Hank smirked before Celia nudged him in the side.

"Don't worry," Celia said comfortingly, "We've all walked in on them at least once. They should be used to it by now."

"Oh, they didn't see me." Lauren said quickly, "And I actually didn't really see anything, only some mild groping. They went into an empty room before it got to scandalous."

"Well then consider yourself lucky." CJ said teasingly as he kissed her lightly on the cheek.


	8. Proposal

On the last day that they were all in town, Celia and Lauren went over to the Bass penthouse for brunch. Throughout the meal, Lauren could tell that she had begun to adjust to CJ's family. While she was nowhere near comfortable around them, she had managed to get to the point where she didn't feel like she was going to have an anxiety attack whenever she saw Chuck and Blair.

After they had finished eating, Blair invited Lauren to go speak with her privately in the sitting room. Lauren was nervous but she knew that the request was more of a command then a question, so she followed the older woman into the other room.

Once they were both seated, Blair turned to her with a polite smile, "Well, as I'm sure Celia has informed you; my son has never been as serious with a girl as he is with you. He's never brought anyone home to meet us."

"I-, uh, yes, she did mention something like that." Lauren said apprehensively.

"Don't be nervous," Blair patted her knee reassuringly, "Celia sure loves to talk; which, when you think about it, kind of goes against everything our family is about. The Basses love their secrets," She said with an eye roll, "But I guess she is kind of good to have for situations like this, when there is someone new around. Otherwise, I'm sure you would be completely in the dark about many aspects of our family."

Celia smiled, trying to appear calm, "Yes, it was great to have her here. She helped me see a lot of different things."

Blair nodded in understanding, "I know it is hard for us to let people in, especially my husband and I, but I just wanted to let you know that I think my son has made a great choice with you and you are a welcome addition to our family. I can't wait to have you as a daughter-in-law."

Lauren blanched, "CJ and I have only been dating for a few months. But it seems like everyone is already considering us as good as married."

Blair laughed, "Well it is obvious. You two are going to end up together."

"How can you know that?"

"I can just tell," Blair said with a simple shrug of her shoulders, "I see the way my son looks at you. When the Bass men find something they want they won't let it go, no matter how hard you may try to run. Trust me, I would know."

Lauren looked confused, which caused Blair to explain with a faraway look in her eyes, "You can try to leave him, try to move on, but in the end you won't be able to. You will always come back to him. It's inevitable."

Blair turned her gaze back to the young woman next to her with a kind smile, "Has Celia ever mentioned anything about Chuck and I in any of her stories?"

Lauren looked down at her lap as she answered timidly, "Um, just that you had a long and tumultuous relationship before you got married."

Blair couldn't help but laugh at the simple description of everything her and Chuck had gone through in their youth, "Yes, we chased each other and played games and hurt each other for years. Did you know that he tried proposing to me once when we were only nineteen?" She asked. Lauren shook her head and Blair continued, "Yes, well, it ended disastrously. We were interrupted and Chuck was punched in the face and I ended up breaking up with him. It was our longest break up in the whole time we have been together."

Blair paused and looked off into the distance as she continued, "But the second time he proposed it was absolutely perfect. We had gotten back together after the big break up during the summer before my junior year at Columbia and that Christmas I came home one afternoon and found a note from him waiting for me." A smile grew on her face, "It told me to go upstairs to my room to find the first clue that would lead to my present. So I rushed up the stairs and found the note lying on my bed. It said-"

"'So this is your bed?'" A voice interrupted from the door. Both women looked up and saw Chuck standing there with his hands in his pockets and an easy smirk on his face. He walked across the room and sat down next to his wife before he continued, "'We didn't sleep here together very often, but this was the location of many plots of social destruction. Your next clue is located in a place where we did spend the night together quite frequently throughout our secret affair.'"

Blair looked at him with shock, "You remember."

"Of course I remember." Chuck said as he took her hand and pulled her closer to him, "I planned it for weeks. I had thought my first attempt at a marriage proposal, when I unsuccessfully tried to Affair to Remember you, was the most romantic thing I could do, but I really outdid myself with this."

Blair scoffed at his self-assuredness before she turned her attention back to Lauren and continued with the story, "I knew the next clue would be at his suite in the Palace, although I hadn't known he had kept the suite in his name."

Chuck shrugged casually, "Sometimes I can be sentimental; you should know that."

Blair rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored his comment, "His little scavenger hunt took me all over the city, to all the landmark places in our relationship, like my dorm rooms at both Columbia and NYU, central park, the VanderBass-Humphrey penthouse, Victrola, and his limo." She stared into Chuck's eyes lovingly as she continued, "In the limo there was a note that said, 'This is where it all began, and now it will take you to where I almost caused it to end forever.'"

Blair sighed, "I knew immediately where I was going." She focused her attention back on Lauren as she explained, "Chuck had lived in the penthouse of the Empire, the first building he owned, during our first year together. But when he returned to New York after our break-up he moved out because that apartment was filled with too many painful memories, for both of us. And by the time we had gotten back together Chuck was living in another building that he had bought.

"So as soon as I read that note, I knew he was taking me back to the Empire. And when the elevator doors opened to the penthouse, I was surprised to see him standing there, looking out the window. I hadn't expected the romantic trail of clues to end there of all places. The whole apartment was completely bare, since no one was living there, and it wasn't decorated at all. There were no flowers or romantic lighting. There was only a single lamp on in the corner."

"I had given up on flowers," Chuck interrupted to explain, "Every time I tried to give them to you, things just ended up getting ruined." He turned to Lauren and said, "I haven't given any to my wife since. I find other, more personal things to give to her. Flowers are overrated."

Blair looked at him like he was crazy before she said to Lauren, "I was really confused, and when Chuck turned to face me he could probably see that. I had no idea why he would ever present me with a gift at a place that had caused us both so much pain."

…

_Chuck walked across the room towards her slowly, "I know I've done some horrible things in the past, especially to you," He said softly, "And you know how sorry I am about it all. But I've changed, I'm better than I was then and I never want to see you upset or hurting or crying ever again. And, Blair," He said as he took her hands in his, "If you do me the honor of becoming my wife, I promise I will do everything I can to ensure that nothing and no one, not even me, causes you pain ever again."_

"_I know that being here is hard for you," He said, gesturing to the room around them, "It's hard for me too. But it is something that needed to be done. I know this isn't your idea of a good proposal location, but I'm asking you here because like our past, this place is full of both good and bad memories. We shared plenty of good times here, some of the best, but we have also experience some of the very worst moments of our relationship here, moments that have torn us apart and tested our love."_

_He looked deep into her eyes as he continued, "I'm asking you here because I want you to remember and consider those bad times along with all the good ones before you answer. I want you to think about how great we are together, about how much I love you. But I also want you to consider how much I have hurt you; how much I could hurt you again if I screw up, which we both know could very well happen." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but it quickly faded, "I don't want you to make this decision rashly. I want you to take both sides into account before you give me an answer. Either way, whatever you decide, I will understand."_

"_Just ask me, Chuck." She said, looking down at their entwined hands._

"_What?"_

_She met his gaze confidently, "You brought me here to ask me a question, Bass. So ask it already."_

_Chuck took a deep breath, got down on one knee and looked up at her with wide, pleading eyes, "Blair Cornelia Waldorf, be my wife. Chuck Bass doesn't beg, but here I am on my knees, begging you. I can't promise that I will be perfect. I can't be that perfect prince charming that you always dreamed of. But I can promise to try my hardest. I can promise to be the absolute best that I can be for you. So please, marry me."_

"_Yes," Blair said with tears in her eyes, "Of course I'll marry you. Yes, yes!"_

_Chuck rose to his feet and pulled her close, wearing a stupid grin to match hers as he slipped the ring on her finger and pressed his lips to hers._

…

Chuck and Blair were staring into each other eyes as they finished telling the story and Lauren was completely awed by the romanticism of the whole thing. After a moment Blair turned to her and smiled, "I know my son and I know that he feels the same way about you that Chuck feels about me. He's just smart enough not to screw it up so much."

"Ouch, that hurt, Love." Chuck said darkly with a hand to his chest, feigning insult.

Blair merely smirked back at him and before Lauren could formulate a response to what she had said there was a knock and the door opened. CJ took a step into the room and asked, "What are you doing in here? Have you managed to scare off Lauren for good yet?"

"We were just having some girl talk." Blair said innocently.

CJ raised a skeptic eyebrow, "With Dad here?"

"He came in uninvited. But I would just end up telling him all about it later anyway, so what difference does it make if he stayed?"

CJ rolled his eyes in a way that reminded Lauren a lot of his mother, "Well, regardless, Celia and Hank are ready to go so we need to leave so we can get back to school at a decent time."

They all stood up from their seats and Blair gave Lauren a hug, "It was so great to meet you, Lauren." She said as she hugged her, "I can't wait to have you come visit us again."

"Thank you, I had a great time." Lauren said shyly as they broke apart.

Chuck placed a hand on his wife's waist and nodded at Lauren, "Keep an eye on our son. Make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble up at that fancy, uptight school of yours." He said with a wink.

Lauren laughed and told him she would as CJ scowled before he shook his father's hand and kissed Blair's cheek to say goodbye.

After they had said their farewells to everyone, CJ, Lauren, Celia and Hank all got on the elevator to head down to their car and leave. While they were in the elevator, Lauren turned to CJ and said, "I like your parents."

CJ looked surprised and she quickly continued, "In a they-still-scare-me-shitless-and-I-feel-like-I always-have-to-be-on-my-best-behavior-around-them kind of way."

CJ just laughed and pulled her closer, "That feeling will pass…maybe…" He laughed some more as she scowled and hit him on the chest playfully.

…

A/N: Hmm, okay, so this is probably the last chapter focusing on Lauren and CJ. They will still be in the story, obviously, but I think next chapter I'm going to move on to the next focus, which will be Ed and Emily. As I've told a few of you, Ed is probably my favorite of the Bass children and he has a really good story (in my opinion. Lol.) so I'm excited to write it.

Please review!


	9. Love and Clubs

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this in so long! I was trying to finish my other story before I worked on this, but I already had this chapter basically done. Lol.

…

After they finished their junior year at Saint Jude's, Ed and Theo Bass had decided they were going to have a crazy summer. They had completed their SATs and most of their college applications, so they were ready to begin the hardcore partying that would inevitably be occurring throughout their senior year.

On this particular night, Theo had insisted that they go out to an exclusive club at one of their father's hotels. Ed never cared where they went as long as there were hot girls and plenty of booze, so he had easily agreed.

But as soon as they entered the club, Ed spotted Anne Archibald and Emily Vanderbilt dancing on the other side of the dance floor with some of their friends. Ed turned to Theo with an accusatory glare, "So this is why you wanted to come here so badly tonight, because Anne fucking Archibald is here. Why don't you just start dating her? You keep crawling after her like a desperate pansy so you might as well make it official."

"Shut up, Ed," Theo sneered, "I have an extremely attractive girl who is willing to hook up without any of the hassles of a relationship. Why would I do anything to change that?"

Ed smirked and put an arm around Theo's shoulder, "You speak the truth, my brother. I've taught you well. You really are living the good life."

Theo chuckled and shook his head as the two boys walked over to the bar to get a drink and scope out the rest of the club.

Ed and Theo were identical twins and they had identical views on just about everything, including high school romances. They had agreed a long time ago to never get in a serious relationship while they were still in school, if they ever did at all.

Basically, the twins did not want to fall in love. They didn't see the point in it. They thought succumbing to young love was foolish.

While they had spent their whole lives witnessing the love of their parents and they knew how great love could be, they had also heard their parents' story and they knew that Chuck and Blair's youthful immaturity and selfishness had caused a lot of pain and heartache for both of them and had almost driven them apart forever.

The twins had decided that having a relationship or attempting to be in love at their age was stupid. They believed that even if you found the person you were supposed to be with; when you are a teenager you are so young and self-centered that you are probably going to ruin everything anyway, so they thought it was better to just avoid love and romance all together and focus on having fun.

And deep down, although they would never admit it to anyone, not even each other, the twins was scared of love. They had seen their parents together and the love they shared and Ed and Theo did not think there was any way they could ever find something that could compare to what Chuck and Blair had and they was scared to even try.

Even if true love was staring them right in the face.

Even though it was obvious to pretty much everyone that Theo loved Anne, the two of them had never been more then glorified fuck buddies because Theo didn't want to start a relationship only to ruin everything and end up hurt. Plus, Anne was a free spirit and had no desire to settle down. She agreed with the twins that high school romances were pointless and she had no desire to get involved in something serious, especially when she was going to be entering college in the fall.

A few hours after the boys had arrived at the club that summer night, Ed had been abandoned by Theo for Anne, as he had predicted.

He was sitting at the bar talking to a tall, leggy blonde when out of nowhere Emily Vanderbilt stepped in between them.

"Excuse me, Barbie," She said with an arrogant tilt of her chin, "I need to speak with Edward for a moment."

The girl took a step back and scoffed, "My name is Gloria."

"Whatever," Emily rolled her eyes and tossed her strawberry blonde hair over shoulder, barely taking the time to look at the girl, "You can go now. I think Ed is done with you, aren't you, Bass?"

Before Ed could answer, Emily gave the girl a dismissive flick of her wrist, causing the blonde to frown in confusion as she walked away.

Once she was gone, Emily turned her attention back to Ed with a fake, condescending smile on her face.

Ed glared at her, "Thanks, Vanderbilt. You just drove away my entertainment for the evening."

"Oh please, if she was really about to hop into bed with you after that little amount of time then she was either an STD-ridden whore or a desperate clinger who would be calling you day-in and day-out for weeks." She said knowingly, "So I actually did you a favor. You should be grateful."

Ed leaned in so that his face was right in front of hers, "The only way you could do me a favor is by stepping in and taking Barbie's place in my bed this evening."

Emily pushed him out of her personal space but otherwise ignored his comment as she grabbed his forearm and began to drag him across the club.

"Where are you taking me, Princess?" He asked with a smirk, "Are you actually going to give me that favor right here in the club? Because while you know I am a fan of the quick and dirty, this isn't exactly the classiest of my father's establishments and the bathroom is most likely not nearly as clean, or as private, as the inside of my limo, which just so happens to be waiting outside to give us a ride." He had come up close behind her as he spoke and the last words were whispered suggestively against the shell of her ear.

Emily came to a halt and turned around. She gave him a shove and glared, "First of all, you, Edward Bass, are completely vile. Secondly," she said holding up two fingers, "Ew, I would never have sex in a public restroom, least of all with you. Three, it is debatable whether or not your limo is cleaner than any bathroom, even a public one." She had a snide glint in her eye as she raised her fourth finger, "And finally, no, your limo is not available since your brother and my cousin just left in it together a few minutes ago."

Ed groaned, "That little bastard."

Emily snorted as she grabbed his arm once again and continued to pull him towards the door, "That is the reason why you and I are going to share a cab."

Ed's smirk quickly returned, "So we _are_ going home together tonight, Vanderbilt?"

Emily scowled, "No, Bass, we are not. You are going to be the gentleman that I know your mother raised you to be and escort me to _my_ home before you take the cab to your own home, _alone_."

"Just because you won't come home with me doesn't necessarily mean I have to be alone." Ed said sleazily. But before Emily could come up with a witty retort, a man reached out and grabbed her, pulling her away from Ed and up against his chest.

He was clearly intoxicated as he slurred, "Hey babe, where did you run off to before? Things were just starting to get interesting between us."

Emily tried to pull away from him, "Get your filthy paws off of me. I don't know how many shots you have taken tonight, but there never was, nor will there ever be any sort of 'thing' between us."

Despite Emily's struggle, the man refused to let her go, "Come on, baby, you know you want me just as much as I want you." He said as he leaned in closer to her.

Emily grimaced as his alcohol-laced breath hit her face and leaned as far away from him as she could get. Just then, Ed stepped forward and pulled her away from the drunken man.

He stared at him darkly, "She is with me. Plus, I'm pretty sure the lady said she wasn't interested."

The guy looked him up and down and raised a skeptic eyebrow to Emily, "This guy?" He asked, "Come on, baby, you can do better than that."

Ed's jaw clenched in anger as he caught the eye of security and waved them over. Of course they knew who Ed was, so the guards immediately came over and grabbed the guy to escort him out of the club.

The man looked around in confusion, "Hey, what's going on here?"

Ed's eyes narrowed devilishly, "I'm Ed Bass. And everyone knows you can't do better than a Bass. It is ridiculous for you to even suggest it." He informed him, "And my father, Chuck Bass, maybe you've heard of him? He owns this club. So don't bother trying to come back here ever again."

As the man was led away, Emily rolled her eyes at Ed's over the top antics, but she had to purse her lips together in an attempt to hide her growing grin.

Ed put an arm around her waist, "Come on, Vanderbilt, let's go home." He said as they walked out of the club.

When they reached the sidewalk outside Emily lifted his hand off of her hip and stepped away from him, "We are each going to our own _separate_ homes." She reminded him haughtily, "We are only sharing a cab."

Ed grinned as he opened the door of the waiting cab for her, "That's not what it will look like on Gossip Girl." He said just before she stepped into the vehicle.

She paused and lifted one perfectly plucked brow, "Oh please, that bitch lost all credibility years ago."

Ed's smirk only grew as he responded, "That is true, but you and I both know that people still read what she writes. And pictures are usually considered more trustworthy then simple tips." He pointed her gaze towards the crowd of people outside the club, "Smile, Em."

Emily turned and looked just in time to see some wannabe minion girl from their school take a picture of Emily and Ed standing closely together, about to enter the cab.

"You conniving Basshole," She growled as she stormed into the cab.

Ed was unfazed by her anger and just laughed as he followed her into the car and closed the door.

….

A/N: Just a forewarning, I won't be going into that much detail about Theo and Anne. Sorry to anyone that wants to hear more about them. Their story just doesn't have a lot of drama/doesn't interest me. It is mostly just both of them hooking up but never being fully together/running away from anything too serious. But don't worry; they won't just fall off the face of the earth. Their relationship will be dealt with briefly later on.

Also, as some of you have notice, Ed and Emily are very similar to Chuck and Blair. So their storyline is going to contain a lot of C&B flashbacks to earlier in their relationship and marriage, which I think a lot of you will enjoy!


	10. Surprises

A/N: This is a tiny, little, baby chapter. But, I really wanted to get it written and the next chapter is going to be longer and full of drama, so, this is just a prelude. Plus, it has a lot of C/B, which I thought you all would enjoy. Lol.

…

Blair was sitting in the seldom used kitchen of the Bass penthouse one evening late in the summer going over some paper work. The elevator dinged, and she looked up to see her husband stroll in, returning from his most recent business trip.

"Well, well, well, look who dressed up for me this evening." He said as he looked her up and down appreciatively.

Blair snorted, but with a smile on her face, "Oh please, this is what I wore to the office today," She said as she gestured down towards her form-fitting skirt and silk blouse that showed a tasteful hint of cleavage, "I just haven't had the opportunity to change yet."

"Oh really?" Chuck said with a quirk of his brow as he set his briefcase down by the door and began to walk over to her, "Well I would be more than willing to help you change out of that outfit, although I don't know if I will allow you to put on anything else for quite a while."

"Is that a promise?" She asked as he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up onto the counter in one fluid motion. He was standing close between her legs as her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, "Someone is eager." She giggled as his lips traced along her jaw.

"I missed you." he said in explanation as he moved down her neck.

She smiled as she stroked the hairs on the back of his neck, "You were only gone for two days."

"I missed you." He repeated simply against her soft, delicate skin.

Blair dragged his face up to hers, "I missed you too." She whispered before she crashed her lips to his.

His hands had slowly inched up her skirt and she had managed to significantly loosen his tie. She was just beginning to unbutton his shirt when they were interrupted.

"Oh, gross!"

"Jesus, can you at least not do it where we eat?"

Chuck and Blair broke apart and Blair flushed in embarrassment at being caught making out with her husband by their teenage sons. She tried to put some distance between her and Chuck, but he refused to back away. Instead, he turned to look at the twins with a cocky smirk, "You really think we have never had sex on here before?"

"Chuck!" Blair admonished as she hit his shoulder.

He merely looked at her and shrugged; "Now they know the truth."

Blair rolled her eyes before she looked at her the disgusted faces of her sons while she was still smiling like a love-sick teenager, "So where are you two off to tonight?"

The twins' expressions quickly morphed into smirks just like their father's as Theo replied, "We're going to visit a couple different college bars. Summer classes just ended at NYU, so hopefully we will be able to find a couple of co-eds that are out celebrating and looking for the kind of good time only Bass could provide."

Chuck's eyebrows rose in amusement, but Blair's face suddenly became much more serious, "You boys know I don't approve of that type of behavior, but I won't stop you. Just please, please, be careful."

"Yes," Chuck added, "You don't want a nice case of herpes and your mother and I don't want a bunch of baby Basses running around here."

"Oh God, no," Blair said dramatically, "I am way too young to be a grandmother."

Ed flashed his trademark charming grin at his mother, "Don't worry, Mom, Bass men _always_ handle their business."

Blair closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as her husband chuckled against her hair. The twins took the opportunity to make their exit without further interrogation, calling out their goodbyes as they left.

Once they were alone, Chuck began massaging his wife's thighs, eager to continue their previous activity, but she backed away from his attempted kisses and glared at him, "I hope you realize that is your spawn walking out of here," She said as she gestured towards the elevator, "I am convinced there is not an ounce of Waldorf blood in them."

Chuck grinned as he moved his face close to hers, "I always told you the Bass sperm was strong."

"Shut up, Bass," Blair scoffed.

"Gladly," He said as he pressed his lips to hers once again.

…

A few hours later, Ed walked into his fourth bar of the night, hoping for more success than he had had in his previous attempts. Theo had left a while ago with his usual tall, blonde, knock-out but Ed had been unable to find anyone that held his interest. All the girls he had seen were either airhead sorority girls who were already completely wasted or they were homely nerds who were below even his standards.

It wasn't that Ed was extremely picky with his women; he just knew what he liked and what he wanted. Theo would always go after any girl that was hot. And while looks were certainly important to Ed as well, he would never take home someone that was less than an eight, maybe, on a slow night, he also wanted to be entertained; to be intrigued. He was bored by women so easily. He needed something, anything, to keep his attention.

And on this particular evening he couldn't find anyone worth spending more than five minutes with. All the girls were bland and he was quickly getting bored. He was just about to get in his limo and call a professional when something, or someone, caught his eye.

A girl had climbed up onto the bar and was swaying seductively to the music. She was clearly intoxicated, but she still had an elegant grace to her movements and her dress was short and tight but it wasn't trashy and it didn't reveal too much.

As Ed watched her dancing, he felt a wave of familiarity rush over him. He began to wonder who exactly this girl was, mentally go through his list of conquests to make sure he hadn't had her before. She was short despite her five inch heels with narrow hips and a tiny waist. She swung her shimmering reddish blonde hair over her shoulder and Ed's smirk faded as his eyes widened in realization.

It couldn't be, could it? Was that really prim and proper Emily Vanderbilt up there?

...

A/N: Ugh, I am so worried about messing up the names accidentally, especially with the whole Ed/Chuck thing (since Ed Westwick plays Chuck). So, if it seems like a name is wrong/it is referencing the seemingly wrong person, it probably is. I apologize in advance.


	11. Drunk

Ed found himself slowly approaching the bar. He was completely mesmerized by the sight of Emily Vanderbilt swaying to the music without any inhibitions. It was not something he had ever seen before nor was it something he had ever expected to see in a million years.

He would have been totally content to watch her move up on that bar for the rest of the night, but when he saw other men taking notice of the petite red-head, he began to move forward a bit more quickly. And when he saw someone try to grab her, he immediately stepped in and wrapped a hand around her arm.

"Eddy!" She squealed excitedly when she noticed him as she leaned down to wrap her arms around his neck. In her extremely inebriated state, the movement caused her to lose her balance slightly and she started to fall off of the bar, but Ed managed to help her land on her feet and remain steady.

He had never seen Emily so blatantly intoxicated and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Careful there, Vanderbilt." He looked around the club for any familiar faces before he looked back at her with confusion, "So where is your ever-present posse of minions? Surely you aren't here alone."

"Of course I am, Bass. I could never let any of my friends see me like this; I would lose all the power I have over them." She slurred as she swayed slightly on her feet.

Ed raised a dubious eyebrow, "While I am in full support of the new, freer side of you, I have to ask, what brought this on?"

"My mother," Emily rolled her eyes dramatically as she grabbed another shot from the bar. Ed watched her down it and his eyes widened in shock. Her face scrunched up for a moment at the burn of the alcohol before she continued, "I'm a constant disappointment to her. I'm not nearly pretty enough, I'm set to graduate third in our class instead of first, and I keep company with trashy riff-raff." She said with a lazy wave in his direction.

"Excuse me?" Ed asked, "I know you are not referring to _me_ as trash. I'm a Bass."

"Yes, but you and your brother act like scum and my mother knows it. Between you two and Anne and your reputations and your partying my mother has come to the conclusion that I must be just as bad as you are."

Ed chuckled, "I can only dream..."

Emily scoffed and shoved him slightly, "So I decided tonight I was going to be the party girl that my mother has already decided I am."

He looked at her skeptically, "And you thought a good way of going about that was to go to a seedy club by yourself and get completely shitfaced?"

"Well, like I said, I couldn't come with my friends. I have a reputation to maintain."

"But this was a stupid idea, especially for you, Vanderbilt. You know just as well as I do that your tolerance isn't that high and any one of these low-rent frat boys could have easily put something into one of your drinks." Ed said with a hint of anger, "Besides, we both know you could have called me. I would have showed you a wild, fun time without any judgment." He smarmed as he leaned in close to her ear.

"Gross." Emily scowled before she took a stumbling step away from him.

"Whoa, careful there, Princess," Ed laughed as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to help her maintain her balance, "I think you have had enough partying for one night. How about I take you home?"

"I can't go home like this!" Emily protested although she began to follow as he led her out of the club, "My mother will literally kill me if I come home drunk."

"Don't worry, Vanderbilt," He said with a sleazy smirk, "You can come home with me. My parents won't even notice if you've had a shot or two too many."

By this point they were standing outside the club by the limo. Emily's eyes were beginning to droop closed as she leaned against Ed, "You promise they won't tell my parents?"

Ed opened the door and helped her into the vehicle before he replied, "I don't know if you have noticed, E, but our parents aren't exactly the best of friends. I don't think you have to worry about my mom giving Maureen a social call anytime soon."

"Good," She said as she rested her head back against the seat, "Thanks, Bass."

He looked over at her with a smirk, "You're welcome. My bedroom is open to you anytime, Vanderbilt."

Emily looked over and met his gaze with lust-filled eyes before she slid across the seat closer to him, "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer." She said seductively as her lips approached his.

But just before their mouths met, Ed pushed her away gently and shook his head, "Stop, Em, you don't want to do this."

She pouted and tears sprang to her eyes, "Of course," She said bitterly, "Not even Ed Bass, man-whore extraordinaire, wants to have sex with me."

Ed's eyes snapped to her face and he tilted her chin so she was looking at him, "That is where you're wrong, Vanderbilt. If you were sober, or at least only slightly buzzed, I would already have that dressed ripped on the floor of this limo. But the fact of the matter is, you are completely wasted and I'm not going to take advantage of you like that."

"But I'm asking you to," She said as she pressed herself close to him again, "Please, Ed, take me."

Her hands began to drift down his chest towards the buckle of his pants, but Ed took her hand and stopped her. Seeing the rejection cloud her face once again he explained, "You don't want this, Emily. You're just drunk and upset. In the morning you would regret it, trust me."

She shook her head, "No-"

"Yes, you would," He repeated, "But how about we make a deal? We won't do anything tonight, but in the morning, if you still feel the same way and your hangover isn't too severe, I promise I will be more than willing to fulfill all your dirtiest dreams and desires."

Emily's eyes began to drift shut again as she rested her head on his shoulder, "I'm holding you too that, Bass."

Ed grinned, "Oh, please do."

…

By the time they arrived at the Bass building, Emily was basically asleep in the limo. She looked so peaceful resting against his chest that Ed didn't want to wake her. Plus, she weighed barely a hundred pounds so it was not difficult at all for him to carry her to the elevator and up the stairs in the penthouse to his room.

He set Emily down gently on his bed and removed her stilettos so she would be more comfortable. He thought about helping her change into one of Celia's old nightgowns, but he decided Emily wouldn't appreciate that sort of help when she woke up in the morning.

Ed sighed and looked around the room, figuring that he would be sleeping in his brother's bed that night. He had texted Theo on the drive over to make sure that their room would be empty. The last thing he needed was to walk in on his brother and some bar slut hooking up. Theo had responded, telling him that they had gone back to the girl's dorm so Ed would have the room all to himself.

As he watched Emily sleep, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful and perfect she looked, even after a night spent drinking and dancing at a club. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed behind her and hold her against his chest.

Ed quickly shook his head, trying to clear those kinds of thoughts out of his mind. He had never wanted to just cuddle with a girl, especially a girl he hadn't even slept with yet. Sure, Emily was his friend, and yes he did want to hook up with her, but his thoughts were sounding downright domestic. Ed Bass didn't do soft and mushy. He needed to get a grip.

But before he could dwell on it more, Emily woke up and bolted out of the bed and into the bathroom. Moments later Ed heard the tell-tale sounds of her throwing up into the porcelain bowl and moaning in agony. Ed shook his head as he went over to help her out. This was going to be a long night.

….

A/N: Okay, the problem right now is that I am so excited about the chapters that are to come that I can't get these next few chapters written. Hahaha. Ugh, hopefully I will get them done soon and we can get to the good stuff.


	12. Deal

When Emily woke up the next morning the first thing she noticed was that she was not in her own bed. And when she tried to sit up she noticed the throbbing pain in her head.

She laid back down on the pillow with a moan and instead opened her eyes a tiny bit to take in her surroundings. It only took her a few minutes to figure out that she was in the Bass twins' bedroom and that she was currently lying in Ed Bass's bed. She checked to make sure she was still clothed and then she closed her eyes and groaned again as bits and pieces of the previous night began to come back to her.

"Ah, you're awake."

Emily reopened her eyes to see Ed leaning against the doorway with a smarmy smirk on his face and a glass of some murky-looking liquid in his hand.

She groaned and pulled the sheets over her head, "Go away, Bass. It's too early for me to deal with you."

He chuckled as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled the sheets down and handed her the glass, "Here, drink this. It will help with your hangover."

Emily's face scrunched up in disgust as she sniffed the liquid, "How do I know you didn't slip something into this?"

Ed rolled his eyes, "Just drink it, Vanderbilt."

She scoffed before she pinched her nose and gave in, downing the drink as quickly as she could. When the glass was completely empty, she set it on the side table and pursed her lips, "That was disgusting."

"Trust me; you'll be grateful in a few minutes when your head completely stops throbbing."

Emily sat massaging her temples for a moment before she pulled back the sheets and began to stand up, "I should really get going. Chloe Collins' party is tonight and I still haven't picked out what I am going to wear."

Ed cleared his throat pointedly, "Just a suggestion; you might want to change your outfit before you head out into the public eye."

Emily looked down at the dress she was still wearing from the night before and immediately noticed the obvious alcohol and vomit stains all along the front of it. "Ew, this thing is disgusting! Why did you ever let me sleep in this?"

"Well, I considered letting you borrow one of Celia's nightgowns, but I didn't think you would appreciate it if I took the liberty of helping you change into it." Ed's eyes scanned her petite figure to accentuate his point.

"Ugh, you are so vile." She said with a roll of her eyes, "But also correct. I can't let anyone see me like this. What am I supposed to do?"

"I know you won't even entertain the thought of borrowing something of mine," Ed said as he placed hand on the small of her back. Emily blanched at the very idea and Ed quickly continued, "But as I explained before, Celia has a whole closet full of clothing here that she will most likely never wear again. I'm sure we will be able to find something in there for you to wear, even if it is last season."

Emily looked skeptical as they entered the guest room that Celia used to stay in on numerous occasions. Ed opened the closet doors and stepped away as he gestured for her to move forward and look through the hangers of clothing, "Feel free to take whatever you want. Like I said before, I'm sure Cece won't even notice if it is missing. I don't think she is ever coming back to claim anything in here."

Ed leaned back against a desk in the room and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for Emily to pick something out. After a while he looked up to see the short brunette searching through the closet almost frantically, looking more and more frustrated with each article of clothing she passed over.

"Come on, Vanderbilt," Ed teased, "This isn't a fashion show. There has to be at least one dress or skirt or something that has caught your eye. Celia's fashion sense isn't that awful."

"That's not the problem, Bass," She huffed, "These dresses are all beautiful."

"Then what _is_ the problem?"

"The problem is that none of them are ever going to fit me." Emily explained, throwing her hands in the air in an attempt to cover her embarrassment and self-consciousness with annoyance, "I don't know if you have noticed, Bass, but just like my dear cousin, Celia has a stunning, model-like body with amazing boobs and butt and legs that go on for miles. While I-," She gestured down to her own body, "well, I am obviously lacking in those departments. Next to them I look like a plain Jane."

"Come on, Vanderbilt, stop being ridiculous."

"I'm not. Girls like Celia and Anne are complete knockouts. I wish I had their curves and their looks. I can try to dress it up as much as I want, but underneath the fancy clothes I still have the physique of a twelve year old boy." She shook her head and looked down, "No wonder nobody wants to sleep with me."

Ed's eyes narrowed as he smirked and gave her body a sweeping glance, "I can guarantee that when men see you they don't see a little boy. And judging by the way the crowd was reacting to you last night; I think there are a fair amount of people who would jump at the chance to pop your highly guarded cherry."

"Oh please," She said with a roll of her eyes, "You don't have to lie to me, Bass."

"I'm not lying," Ed said as he took a single step towards her, "You're so tiny and delicate and-," He clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut, "God, if you would just let me, I would show you just how I would worship every inch of your perfect little body."

Emily's eyes widened slightly as she stared at him in shock. Ed thought he had gone too far and he put his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Emily, I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Show me." She whispered slowly, causing his head to snap up.

"Emily-," Ed said with a shake of his head. This wasn't what he expected to happen and as much as he wanted her, he didn't want to take advantage of the situation.

"Please, Ed," She said as she took a few hesitant steps forward and placed a hand on his chest, "I want you to."

He stared into her eyes and saw they were dark with lust, just like he imagined his were. He had tried to be noble, but he _was_ Ed Bass, and he wouldn't question her twice. He could only restrain himself for so long.

Without anymore hesitation, he crashed his lips down to hers and pulled her body flush against his. Almost instantly her lips began to respond to his and she buried her hands in his thick, dark hair.

With practiced ease Ed maneuvered them onto the bed without ever breaking the kiss and within minutes he had stripped Emily of her filthy dress and began to show her just how perfect he found her to be.

…

A few hours later, Emily awoke in the Bass guestroom with Ed's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She took a few deep breaths to gather her wits and figure out how she was going to get out of there.

When she was ready, she slipped out of the bed as quickly and quietly as she could and went to the closet. She threw on a simple, flowy dress and pulled her knotted hair back into a ponytail.

She had grabbed her dress from the night before and was just slipping on her shoes when Ed sat up and looked at her with a raised brow, "Leaving so soon, Princess?"

She finished adjusting her heel and stood up to look at him, "Don't worry, I know how things work with you, Ed. I'll be out of your hair shortly."

"Em, you don't have to-"

"Stop pretending to be nice, Bass. Sex is a onetime deal with you, isn't it? 'Use them and lose them,' right?"

Ed shook his head, "It doesn't have to be-"

"Don't pretend to treat me differently," She interrupted, "I can handle it. It was fun, but that's it. It doesn't mean anything. We can just go back to normal and act like this never happened."

"Emily-," Ed said as he began to rise from the bed.

But she held out a hand to stop him and walked to the door, "Don't worry. I'm fine. Thank you, for last night, for what just happened," she smiled softly, "For everything. I-, I guess I'll see you around."

She walked out of the room without once looking back and Ed fell back onto the pillows with a quiet groan. Everything she said about him had been true, so why had he wanted so desperately for her to stay? He already missed the smell of her hair against his face and the feel of her body pressed against him. He had never felt this way before about anyone. And even though it scared him, he knew he was going to do whatever it took to get her back in his bed. He quickly rose from the bed and headed to his bathroom. He needed to get ready for Chloe's party that evening.

…

Later that night, everyone from Constance and St. Jude's was at Butter for Chloe Collin's seventeenth birthday party. Ed and Theo strolled in to the party about an hour after it had started and took a look around.

Usually, the twins only spent a short amount of time at parties thrown by their high school classmates. In their experience they had found that most of the girls were teases and the girls that would give in to their advances were not nearly as fun as the girls they could be picking up at a bar. In the past, they would show up at a party, have a few drinks and scope out the prospects. Ed tended to find it more entertaining to win over a Constance schoolgirl while Theo usually wanted to leave shortly after they would arrive.

But on this particular evening, Theo was well aware that his brother was on a mission and would not be persuaded to leave the party early. Ed may not have specifically told him, but Theo knew that something had happened the night before, and it was something big.

As soon as they walked into Butter, Theo went over to the bar, just like he always would, but Ed did not follow him. Instead, he looked around the club until he spotted Emily Vanderbilt talking with a few others girls in a corner.

He strolled over to her confidently and placed a hand on her elbow, "Hello, Princess. How is your head feeling this evening?" He whispered huskily into her ear.

She shook off his touch and tried to put some distance between them, "It is fine, thank you."

"Really?" He asked with a smirk, "Because I was going to offer another round of my special, personal treatment, if you were interested." He ran his fingers down her arm slowly and his grin grew as he watched the goosebumps appear along the path he had touched.

Emily spun around with pursed lips as she grabbed his wrist and pulled him out into a back hallway. When she was sure they were alone she turned to him with a glare, "What the hell do you think you are doing, Bass?"

"Oh come on, Vanderbilt, don't act like you didn't like it."

She placed her hands on her hips angrily, "I have a reputation to maintain. You can't just go around molesting me in public. I thought we had a deal."

Ed's face hardened, "I didn't agree to anything."

Emily looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "So what? You want to be my boyfriend? Go on dates? Hold hands? Have dinner with my parents?"

Ed swallowed deeply, "I don't know about all of that," He said as he slowly walked towards her until she was backed up against the wall, "But I do know that I want to have you again. I want you back in my bed, naked and writhing in pleasure."

"You-, you do?" She asked with wide eyes. Her breath had already become shaky at his closeness.

"Of course I do," He said as his eyes drifted down her body, "Jesus, look at you. Why wouldn't I?"

"I-, I don't-"

"Look, it doesn't have to be anything serious. We can just have some Bass-approved fun. Come on, Vanderbilt, you can't honestly say you don't want another taste of this." He said gesturing towards himself, "So what do you say?"

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment before she opened her eyes and look at him sternly, "No one can know. Everything I've built would be destroyed if people found out I was sleeping with one of the Bass boys, especially without any commitment."

"Fine." Ed agreed quickly, his lips only millimeters away from hers, "Sneaking around will add some excitement, don't you think?"

Emily rolled her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Shut up, Bass."

And he did just that, pressing his mouth to hers without further commentary.


	13. Caught

The first day of senior year dawned bright and sunny. Emily was in her element on the Met steps with her minions conducting the initial interviews for possible Projects. When the Bass twins arrived right as the first bell rang, Ed sent her a subtle wink and she managed to suppress a grin and roll her eyes.

Their secret affair had been going on for a couple of weeks and so far they had managed to avoid any detection or drama. The only people who were aware of their little arrangement were Theo and Anne, both of whom could be trust to never reveal the information.

Keeping their cover at school was pretty easy for the two of them since they were already used to restraining their sexual chemistry in public. Plus, it didn't hurt that Ed knew all the best, most secluded spots on campus for when their lust became too overwhelming.

On the third day of school Emily spent half of the lunch period initiating new freshmen projects into her group of friends. She left the explanation of some of the detailed rules and regulations to her more experienced minions with the excuse that she had a meeting with a teacher about college applications.

She walked into the school with a confident gait and her head held high. She had only gone a few feet down the hallway when a hand shot out and pulled her into a nearby janitor's closet.

"What the hell?" She cried as a familiar pair of lips attacked her neck, "Bass stop. This place is disgusting." She protested even as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

Ed chuckled against her skin, "Don't worry, Princess, I won't let your Dior get dirty. I just couldn't wait any longer. Watching you boss all those pathetic freshmen around was one of the sexiest things I have ever seen."

"Oh really?" She cocked an eyebrow as she pulled his face up to hers, "If you like it so much, I can boss you around anytime you like."

"Mmm, I love a woman that can take charge." He growled before he crashed his mouth to hers.

Things heated up quickly between the pair since they knew they only had a limited amount of time before the lunch period was over and the hallway would once again be crawling with students and teachers. In a matter of minutes Emily was panty-less with her skirt hiked high around her waist and her legs wrapped over top of Ed's hips.

She had just managed to pull down the zipper on his pants when the door abruptly opened. Emily quickly buried her face in Ed's chest while he turned his head to confront who ever had interrupted them. The elderly janitor stared at them awkwardly for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked away, "The two of you need to get yourself situated and follow me to the Headmistress's office right now."

Ed carefully lowered Emily to her feet as she pulled her skirt back into its rightful place. As they followed the man down the hall Emily had her eyes trained down on the floor in front of her while Ed strolled along lazily with his usual smirk in place. He had gotten into trouble for worse things than this during his time at St. Jude's and he hadn't been kicked out yet. Plus, he knew that once his parents arrived with their checkbook this whole incident would be forgiven with little punishment for him or Emily.

But Emily was more concerned. Not with the reaction from the headmistress; she knew that between her parents and the Basses, there was not a chance that this would go on her record. She was more worried about what her parents would do to her after they found out. She knew her parents, especially her mother, and she knew that they would not take this situation lightly. There was sure to be some severe punishment for her at home even if there was none from the school.

As they sat in the outer office waiting for their parents to arrive Ed looked over and reached to squeeze her hand reassuringly, "Hey, don't worry, Vanderbilt. We're not going to get in trouble for this. My parents won't let that happen. Trust me."

Emily pulled her hand out of his grasp while refusing to look at him, "Just don't touch me, Bass. That has caused enough problems today already."

He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, "Whatever. If you want to sit here and stress over nothing, then that is your prerogative."

Emily simply turned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest as they waited in silence for their parents to arrive.

…

Outside in the courtyard, Blair Bass was waiting patiently as her husband pulled up in his limo straight from the office. He approached her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "So, what sort of mischief have our children caused today?" He asked as he placed a hand on the small of her back and followed her into the school.

"_Our_ children?" She asked with a laugh, "Don't you mean _your_ children? And it is only one child today. Apparently Edward has managed to get into trouble all by himself."

Chuck raised a brow at his wife, "What kind of trouble?"

"I don't know," Blair said with a shrug, "The headmistress didn't say when she called, but we will find out soon enough, I'm sure."

"Well maybe I will have to take the rest of the afternoon off to go home and help deal with this issue." Chuck said into her ear as he came up close behind her and his hand drifted down to her ass.

"Chuck!" She reprimanded as she turned and hit his shoulder, "Control yourself." She hissed while they continued to walk down the hall of the school.

Chuck smirked, "I'll try but it's difficult to do when I remember running into you in these very halls with your short little plaid skirts and ever-present headbands."

As they reached the office, Blair grabbed his hand to keep it from wandering. She gave him a seductive grin as she trailed on finger down his chest, "If you behave now, I just might be willing to relive that fantasy with you tonight. You know that I still have one of my old uniforms in my closet at home."

Chuck's eyes had darkened with lust, "Let's get this over with." He growled as he pulled her into the office.

After they entered, Blair's eyes widen in shock and Chuck smirked knowingly when they saw their son sitting in a chair next to Emily Vanderbilt, who was trying to sit as far away from him as possible.

Chuck of course knew all about Ed's relationship with the Vanderbilt girl, but he had kept the information to himself. He remembered his own secret affair back when he was in high school and he didn't want to start any drama or cause problems for his son.

"Edward, what did you do to her?" Blair asked with her hands on her hips.

Ed opened his mouth to respond but before he could the headmistress came out and called him and his parents into her office.

After they were all seated, Chuck straightened his suit jacket and cleared his throat, "So what exactly has our son done this time?"

"Well Mr. Bass," The headmistress began in a business-like tone, "Edward was caught having sexual relations with Miss. Vanderbilt in the janitor's closet during the lunch period."

Blair's eyes widened and she looked over at her son, "You didn't." She gasped as she looked back and forth between him and the headmistress.

Ed continued to stare straight ahead, appearing to be bored by the whole disciplinary proceedings and Chuck was trying his hardest to suppress a proud grin. It was foolish of Ed to get caught, but Chuck knew how hard it was to resist a beautiful woman who was right in front of you for the long eight hour school day. Plus, if he remembered correctly, the janitor's closet was one of the best hook-up spots on campus.

"What kind of punishment is he facing for this?" Blair asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Usually for this type of an offense he would be subject to a lengthy suspension and some volunteer hours when he returned. But given Edward's extensive disciplinary history we have to consider expulsion."

Chuck's eyes narrowed as he pulled out his check book and leaned forward, "So how much is it going to cost to get him out of this?" He asked in his most official tone as he uncapped his pen.

…

When the Basses exited their meeting with the headmistress, they passed Emily and her parents, who had just arrived and looked to be much angrier than Chuck and Blair had been when they first arrived. Ed gave Emily a confident wink, trying to reassure her that there would be no significant consequences for their actions, but she continued to refuse to look at him and missed his gesture.


	14. The Fallout

The next day Ed didn't see Emily until they were sitting together in detention after the school day had ended. Chuck had managed to negotiate their punishments down to merely one week of detention and fifty hours of volunteer service in school clubs and he had convinced the headmistress to label the offense as 'cutting classes' in their records instead of what the actual violation was.

Ed kept trying to catch her eye, hoping to see her pleasure at the lack of consequences for their actions, but she was pointedly ignoring him. He couldn't understand why she was so bitter. They had gotten away with getting caught basically unscathed because of his parents. She should be thrilled and eager to thank him.

He planned on confronting her as soon as detention was over, but the minute they were dismissed she practically ran out of the classroom. He called after her but she only sped up and pretended that she didn't hear him.

Finally, when she was just about to step into her waiting car, Ed managed to catch up to her and grab her arm, "Slow down there, Vanderbilt."

"I thought I told you not to touch me, Bass." She hissed as she pulled out of his grasp.

Ed's brow furrowed, "What the hell is your problem? _I'm_ the one that got us out of trouble yesterday."

Her eyes dulled and she took a step into her car, "Yesterday never should have happened in the first place, or any other day before that. Just, please, leave me alone, Ed."

Before he could stop her, Emily closed the door and the vehicle pulled into traffic, leaving Ed standing on the curb trying to figure out what had happened to make her regret their entire relationship.

…

Later that evening, Chuck and Blair were walking down the stairs after checking on their children in various rooms around the apartment. They had just reached the living room when Chuck unexpectedly pulled Blair into his arms and began kissing her passionately.

"What time will the Archibald's be arriving this evening?" He asked with his forehead pressed against hers after their kiss had broken. Since Jenny was in Paris for the weekend working on her new clothing line, Blair had invited Nate and his daughters over for dinner that evening.

"Any minute." She whispered with her eyes still closed.

Chuck sighed and nuzzled his nose against her cheek gently, "So we don't have time to…"

"No, we don't." Blair said firmly as her eyes snapped open and she shoved him away playfully.

He growled and tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her even closer against him. He had just buried his face in her neck when the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival of their guests.

Chuck groaned in frustration and took a step away from his wife. She simply rolled her eyes at his dramatics, "Calm down," She said with a playful smirk, "It's not like you won't be getting any later tonight."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." He whispered huskily into her ear before he kissed her hair. He wrapped an arm around her waist possessively just as Nate and his two beautiful blonde daughters entered the room.

"Hi, Mr. Bass. Hi, Mrs. Bass, is Ricky upstairs?" Nate's youngest, Alison asked breathlessly.

Blair smiled kindly, "Yes, he is up in his room…" She trailed off at the end as the girl was already halfway up the staircase, calling out her thanks as she went.

She turned to Nate with a questioning look on her face, causing him to just shake his head and sigh, "I don't know. She mentioned something on the way over her about Kayla Van Weldon and immediate social destruction."

Blair's face immediately cleared in understanding, "Oh right, the girl who started the rumor about Alison and Fredrick having sex at her thirteenth birthday party."

Nate's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the mention of his thirteen year old daughter having sex, "What!"

Both Chuck and Blair had matching smirks on their faces at Nate's ignorance, but it was Chuck who was kind enough to set his mind at ease, "Don't worry, Archibald, it is just a rumor. Nothing really happened. Your daughter's virtue is still intact. Or, at least, it wasn't stolen by our son."

Nate buried his face in his hands, "How do you know about this?"  
"We have to," Blair said simply, "With children like ours, it is completely necessary to stay aware."

At that moment the older Archibald daughter, Anne, cleared her throat impatiently, "Not that this conversation isn't fascinating to me," She said, "But can you just tell me where I can find Theo and Ed?"

"Oh, they should be in the library, I believe." Blair told her.

"Thanks." Anne said briskly before she walked out of the room with a determined gait.

As she left the room, Chuck gave his wife a dubious look.

"What?" She asked, seeing the look on his face.

"Are you sure that was the best idea; letting her find them without warning the boys first?"

Understanding washed over Blair and she seemed a bit concerned for a moment, "Yeah, probably," But then she just shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well, Edward deserves whatever she gives him anyway."

Nate was still completely in the dark about what they were talking about, "What the hell is going on here? Did the twins do something to Anne? I didn't think she had talked to them since she started school."

Chuck held up his hand to quiet Nate, "Just wait for it, Nathaniel."

All three stood there, listening intently, for what Nate wasn't really sure until he heard the distinct sound of a palm hitting the skin of another's cheek followed by his daughter's angry yell, "How could you, you self absorbed bastard!"

Nate's head whipped around to Chuck and Blair, expressing his unvoiced plea for an explanation.

"Edward has been involved in a sort of, ahem, _relationship_, with Emily Vanderbilt," Blair explained patiently, "Yesterday they were caught in a fairly compromising position at the school."

"Ah," Nate nodded in understanding, "So, are you going to go in there and stop them?" He asked, gesturing towards the other room where a heated argument was still obviously going on.

"No," She said with a sly grin, "I think Anne has it under control."

…

"What the fuck is your problem, Archibald?" Ed asked angrily as he rubbed his stinging cheek.

Theo was holding Anne's arm, trying to restrain her, but she pulled out of his grasp and pointed a finger at the other boy with a murderous glare, "_My_ problem? What about you, Bass? How could you do that to Emily?"

Ed rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like I forced her into it. News flash, Blondie, your cousin was just as eager as I was to christen that particular closet." He shoved his hands into his pockets and returned Anne's stare, "Plus, it's not like we even got into any trouble over it. I made sure of that."

Anne snorted and shook her head bitterly, "You forget, Edward, that not all parents are quite as understanding as Chuck and Blair are."

Ed's brow furrowed with concern, "What are you talking about, Archibald?"

"I'm talking about the fact that my Aunt Maureen has decided to move down to Washington to be with Uncle Trip full time and she has decided that Emily needs to come with her so she can get away from all the bad influences she has gotten involved with here."

"Bad influences? Emily is like the definition of prim and proper. If anyone is on the straight and narrow path in this city it is her."

"Yes, well hanging out with her hard-partying cousin and one of the Bass twins is cause enough for concern for Maureen and she has decided to nip the problem in the bud."

Ed ran his hand through his hair, "Shit."

"Yeah, shit." Anne said condescendingly, "Did you really think you both would get away with getting caught completely unscathed? Your parents might be used to all your antics, but the Vanderbilts have a completely different set of expectations for their children."

Ed was barely listening to her at that point. "I have to go," He said, grabbing his blazer off a nearby chair and rushing out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Anne asked, but he was already out the door.

"He's going to see her," Theo explained, "This isn't just a fling to him."

Anne stared at him with wide eyes for a moment before she shook her head, "I will never understand your family."

…

Emily was busy packing her bags when she heard a quiet knock on her door. Thinking it was one of the maids coming to help her, she called out for them to come in.

"You can just start packing that bag over there." She instructed, pointing across the room without looking behind her.

"Don't go."

Emily froze, dropping the shirt she was in the midst of folding. She spun around and saw Ed Bass standing in her door way. "What are you doing here?" She hissed, rushing forward and closing the door, "My parents will kill you _and_ me if they see you here."

"I can't believe they are doing this to you." He said as he paced over to the window and looked out onto the street below, "It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You've never even been in trouble before."

Emily sighed, "Yes, well, not all parents expect the worst from their children and let them get away without any consequences in life."

Ed turned and took her hands in his, "Please," He said earnestly, "I don't want you to go."

She pulled away from him angrily, "Well that is too bad. You don't get a say in the matter. _I_ don't even get a say. Do you think I want to move to DC? I love it here. It is my senior year. I am the queen of Constance. New York is my home. I don't want to go, but I messed up and now I have to deal with the fallout."

"Emily-"

"No." She cut him off, "You and I, this thing between us, was nothing more than a mistake. We had our fun but obviously now it is over. And to be honest, it really wasn't worth all the trouble it caused me. So, if you would, can you please just go before you cause even more problems for me?"

Ed's face morphed into a hard, cold mask, "Fine." He said as he walked out of the room. But he paused just as he reached for the doorknob and looked back to her, "Just for the record, I am sorry, about everything." He looked down, "I never-, I didn't-, I'm just really sorry."

Without waiting for her reply, Ed opened the door and left. As soon as he was gone Emily sat down on the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands.

….

A/N: Hi, just one quick word about Chuck and Blair before I get any complaints, I know most of the stuff concerning them has been pretty light-hearted and fluffy, but that is just because right now everything in their family is pretty much perfect so they have no reason not to be all teasing and fun. But when they start to deal with more drama and serious stuff then you will really see them being more serious and leaning on each other.

Plus, in another like two or three chapters the flashbacks are going to start, so I'm sure many of you are excited for that!

Okay, that's it. Please review!


	15. Visit

After Emily moved away, Ed didn't exactly sit around pining over her. Sure he missed her, but he wasn't going to give up partying and going out so he could just wait for her return. It was his senior year, he wanted to enjoy it. Plus, he had an image to maintain.

But when it was time for the annual Vanderbilt start of the holiday's party, Ed couldn't help but find himself looking forward to it. The party was thrown by Emily's parents, so he figured she had to be present for it as well and he hoped that the time apart had reduced her anger towards him, even if she hadn't been returning his calls or texts.

The Basses arrived at the party and Ed immediately began skimming the crowd for the petite, strawberry-blonde beauty he hadn't seen in way too long. He slowly made his way over to the table where his twin brother and Anne Archibald were seating. Even once he was seated he kept searching for Emily among the mingling guests.

"You're not going to find her," Anne said, breaking his concentration, "She's not here."

He turned to her with a glare, "What do you mean she isn't here? This is her family's party."

"Yes, but Emily came down with a sudden illness that prevented her from traveling," Anne told him in an airy tone with a roll of her eyes, "Or at least that is what my Aunt and Uncle are telling people. In reality they just didn't want her here. They think she is finally getting on the right track and that it was 'too soon' to bring her back around us bad influences."

"That's such bullshit." Ed said angrily as his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Ya think? Especially considering how miserable she is down there. She hates it. She has no friends. No one cares that she is a Vanderbilt, in fact, a lot of them hate her because of it. They think her dad is a simple trust fund brat who got to where he is because of his name instead of his accomplishments." Anne's eyes narrowed into a harsh glare, "Why are you so upset, anyway? It sure doesn't seem like you have been missing her for the past couple of months."

"Anne-" Theo warned, but Ed was already provoked enough to respond.

"Fuck you, Archibald. You know that Theo fucks all those random club whores wishing that they were you." He spat gesturing towards his brother, "What makes you think that my situation with Emily is any different?"

Anne raised a skeptical brow, "Are you saying that you actually care about her?"

"I'm saying that this conversation is over," He rose from his seat and straightened his suit jacket, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a drink. This night is going to much longer than originally anticipated."

Ed walked away from the table upset but not discouraged. Emily's parents thought keeping her away from him would help drive him away but the fact that Emily wasn't at the party that evening only made him want to see her again that much more.

…

It was the Friday before Christmas break and Emily could not wait for the day to be over. That night was the winter formal at her fancy private school, but she could care less about going. She didn't have any friends in DC and she really didn't want to go and stand awkwardly against the wall by herself, even if her mother was pushing her to go.

Emily had been on her best behavior for weeks, doing everything her parents asked of her and getting perfect grades at school, in the hope that they would allow her to finally return to New York at least for a visit if not for the final semester of her senior year. But the night before she had over heard her mother on the phone with her brother telling him that they would be spending Christmas in Washington because she didn't trust Emily to spend an extended period in the city 'among those hooligans she used to associate with.'

Emily was furious, but there was nothing she could do. So she went to school that morning and continued to be the image of the perfect child. If she wanted her parents to allow her to attend Columbia in the fall, she need to convince them that she was a changed woman; that she wouldn't fall into the same traps as she had a few months ago.

After her last class, Emily visited her locker to get the books she would need to study over the break and walked towards the front entrance of the school. As she was walking out the door, she was so busy thinking about how she would keep herself busy over the long break stuck here in Washington that she almost didn't notice how all the students gathered in the front of the school were whispering and staring at something.

She was only shaken out of her revere when she heard two girls talking to each other.

"I wonder who he is here to pick up."

"I don't know, but if she doesn't show, I'll take her place. Look at that guy; he could be a freaking model."

"And don't forget that limo and those clothes. He has to be rich, like, super rich."

Emily's brow furrowed and she looked up to see who the girls were talking about and her mouth dropped open. There, parked right in front of the school, was Ed Bass, leaning casually against his limo in a Prada wool coat. His hair was wind-tossed and sexy and when he caught her eye a devilish smirk appeared on his face.

She walked over to him slowly but confidently, well-aware that everyone was staring at her as she approached.

"What are you doing here, Bass?" She asked with a cautious, coy smile.

He placed a hand on her hip and pulled her closer to him, "I heard there was a dance tonight. I assumed you needed a date, and what better escort could a girl ask for than a Bass?"

Emily was in shock, "How did you even know about-"

Ed tilted his head and gave her a knowing look, "Like I said, I'm a Bass."

She shook her head and stood up a bit straighter, "Well it is too bad I'm not going to the dance," She said in a haughty tone, "I didn't get a ticket or a dress or anything."

Ed leaned forward so his lips were pressed against her ear, "Lucky for you I came prepared." He pulled a pair of tickets out from the inside of his jacket.

"What-, how-" Emily stammered, completely at a loss for words. She knew Ed and his family had connections, but she could not believe he had managed to find out when her schools dance was and purchase tickets to it as well.

"Don't worry about it, Princess," He said, pressing a kiss to her nose, "And did I hear you mention something about a dress? Because I brought down the latest designs from Eleanor Waldorf and Jenny Humphrey, so hopefully you will be able to find something to wear among them."

Her eyes widened, "Ed-" she began but he placed a finger on her lips.

"Shut up, Vanderbilt, and kiss me." He smirked as he moved his face closer to hers, "Aren't you going to give these stuck up bitches the show they have been waiting for?"

Emily grinned in understanding as she moved her hand to the back of his head and pulled his face down so her lips could meet his, showing all her classmates that this strikingly handsome, rich man that they were all fawning over was all hers.

…

That night at the dance, Emily had the most fun she had probably had since she moved to Washington. She had called her mother after school to tell her that she had decided to go to the dance with some friends and she was going to spend the afternoon getting ready with them and then sleep over at one of their houses afterwards. Maureen was thrilled and told her to have a good time without questioning the sudden change of heart.

And once they were at the dance everyone was looking at them enviously and it felt great. She was wearing a form-fitting, emerald backless Eleanor Waldorf Original dress and Louboutin heels and Ed was in a perfectly tailored Armani tux. They looked absolutely stunning and Emily was able to hold her head high like the queen she was for the first time among her new peers.

Ed was sitting alone at a table drinking from his self-spiked punch while Emily was in the ladies room when one brave girl sat down next to him.

She leaned forward seductively, showing off her voluptuous cleavage, "Hey."

Ed looked over at her with disinterest, "Can I help you?"

"My name is Kimberly," She said, extending a hand towards him. But when he ignored it she quickly continued, "My friends and I couldn't help but noticing that you are here with Emily Vanderbilt."

"I am."

"Well, why?" She asked with an unladylike scowl, "I mean she's not even that pretty. And her family is a joke. They are all about entitlement and greed when in reality everyone thinks they are completely ridiculous."

Ed's eyes narrowed angrily, "Where I come from the Vanderbilts are considered to be royalty and Emily is the fucking queen." He saw Emily making her way back from the restroom so he rose and looked down at the girl condescendingly, "Oh, and if you think she isn't the most attractive woman that has ever graced this godforsaken town then you are obviously just jealous of the fact that she can look completely perfect with absolutely no effort while you have to put on pounds of make-up and a push-up bra to even walk outside your house."

The girl looked like he had slapped her as he turned and took a few steps forward to meet Emily.

"What were you talking to Kim Brady about?" She asked as she looked between the girl and Ed with a mixture of concern and bitterness, "Was she offering to give you a good time later tonight?"  
"She probably would have," Ed said with a shrug, "Before I told her she was an ugly bitch."

Emily looked shocked, "You did?"

"Well, I didn't use those exact words, but I'm pretty sure she got the message," He took her hand and smirk, "But let's not waste anymore time talking about that slut. I suggest we take one more turn around the dance floor and then we get out of here. What do you think?"

She grinned as she followed him, "It sounds like a plan to me."

…

Once they were back at the hotel, things heated up between the pair quickly. It had been so long since they had been together, too long in Ed's mind, and as soon as the door was closed he had Emily pressed up against it with his mouth latched onto hers.

As his lips trailed down to her neck, Emily's grip on his shoulders became more of a push as she tried to get some space. "Ed," She gasped, "Ed, wait-, wait a minute."

He groaned and pressed his face to her collarbone, "What's the problem Vanderbilt? Don't you want this? I know you've missed it."

"I have," She agreed, looking down nervously, "I just-, I need to know why you're here."

He scowled, "I told you, Anne told me how awful it was for you here-"

"That's not what I meant," She interrupted him with a shake of her head, "Why did you want to help me? Why did you actually come? What was in it for you?"

Ed sighed. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her that she was all he could think about, even when he was with other girls. He wanted to tell her that being apart from her was literally painful to him, that she made him feel things he never had before. He wanted to tell her that he loved her.

But he couldn't say that. That was something Ed Bass would never say and she would never believe him even if he did. So instead he decided to tell her another truth.

"I'm here, Vanderbilt, because for some reason that I have yet to explain, you have provided the best sex I have ever had." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her jaw, "So as long as you are offering, I'm ready and willing to take whatever it is you will put out."

She pushed him away in disgust, "You are vile."

"But you love it."

Before she could come up with a response, Ed pulled her back to him and crashed his lips onto hers, causing her to quickly forget everything but him.

…

Early the next morning, Emily woke up to the feeling of someone kissing along her jaw, down her neck, and across her shoulders. She moaned and threaded her fingers through Ed's hair as her eyes fluttered open.

He looked up at her with a mischievous grin, "Good morning, Princess."

"Good morning," She smiled and pulled his head up so his mouth could meet hers.

They kissed for a moment before Ed pulled away, "When are your parents expecting you back today?"

"Not until later this afternoon."

His smirk grew, causing Emily to question him, "Why? What time is it now?"

"Only nine," He said as he pressed a kiss to her lips, "And my flight doesn't leave until three, so we have _plenty_ of time."

She giggled before his mouth moved over hers and he began to kiss her once again.

….

A/N: Ah, long chapter. So, the next one will possibly/most likely contain the first Chuck and Blair flashback of the Ed and Emily section. Get excited! Oh, and review, please.


	16. Penthouse Guests

_She woke up in his bed with his arm flung casually over her waist. Again. She tried her best to get out of there without waking him but she had hardly moved an inch before his grip turned vice-like and he opened his eyes. _

"_You're not going anywhere, Waldorf." He mumbled huskily, "Not this time."_

"_Get off of me, Chuck." She said, pulling his arm off and wrapping the sheet around herself as she stood up. "This was a mistake."_

"_If that's true," He said, grabbing his boxers off of the floor and sliding them back over his hips, "Then how come you keep coming back for more?"_

_She looked at him with an angry scowl, but he could see the tears welling up in her eyes, "Because I'm weak," She said in a broken voice, "Just like Gossip Girl said back in high school. When it comes to you I'll always be weak. No matter how hard my brain tries to fight it, my heart and my body will always be pulled in by that deep, seductive voice and those lecherous, dark eyes. There is this magnetic pull you have over me and I can't escape it. But you already know that."Her eyes narrowed as she pointed a finger at him, "You know exactly what to do to make me fall right back into bed with you."_

"_You're right." He said bluntly, "But do you think that is why I do it? Do you really think this is just about the sex to me?" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "God, Blair, don't you get it? I want more than this. I want something real. I want you, in every way."_

_She looked at him like he was crazy, and really, he couldn't blame her. If anyone else had heard what he had just said they would be thinking the same thing. Chuck Bass, asking for more than sex? Asking for an actual relationship? It was unimaginable._

_Finally, Blair shook her head, "I can't do this," she said as she began to gather her clothing, "I have to go."_

_She turned around to pick up her skirt and found one of her shoes thrown under a chair._

"_Why won't you let me love you?" She spun around and saw that Chuck had risen to his feet and was slowly approaching her, "I know I have messed up and hurt you in the past, but I know you still love me. You basically just admitted it. Why won't you just let us be together?"_

_He reached forward to touch her, but she slapped his hand away before he could make contact, "You think I don't want to? You think that every time I'm with you I don't want to just give in and stay right there in your arms?" Her tears had returned, and this time a few spilled over onto her cheeks, "I want to; God, I want to so badly, but I can't." _

_She looked at him and shook her head, "I can't trust you, Chuck, not after everything. You said it yourself, we will never be safe. And yes, that is part of what I love about us; the danger and the passion and the fire, but I want stability too. I've always had a plan for my life and there are things I want to do that I'm not sure I can accomplish with you. I want to finish school and get a job and get married and have a family. And I don't think you can give me that." She shrugged her shoulders in defeat, "We can't even last a year together without self-imploding, so how could we ever make it through marriage and children?"_

"_We could, Blair, don't you see?" He took a step closer to her, "I'm not the same person I was last time. That was my first attempt at letting someone in; making myself completely vulnerable and I didn't do it well. I opened my heart to you, but it was only a tiny crack, just enough for you to sneak through. And at the first sign of trouble I pushed you out and sealed it right back up again."_

_He looked at her pleadingly, trying desperately to get her to believe him, "But I'm different now. I've grown. The past couple of years without you have helped me realize just how stupid I was. I didn't need to protect myself from you; I know that now and I will never make that mistake again." He took her hand and placed it on his chest, "My heart is open, wide open. It is _cemented_ open, but only for you. I'll never close myself off to you ever again. I know you have no reason to believe me, Blair, but if you just give me a chance I can prove to you-," He squeezed his eyes closed and pressed his face to her cheek, "Please," He breathed against her skin, "Please, Blair, give me the chance."_

_She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing a few more tears to escape. "Chuck-," She choked. _

_He moved to press his forehead to hers and he placed his hands on her face, "_Please_, Blair."_

_He was begging now. She didn't think she had ever seen him so desperate and it finally broke her resolve. "Okay," She whispered. He looked at her with wide eyes, hardly believing his ears before she continued, "But we have to go slow. Really, really slow. I can't be hurt again, Chuck, I don't think I would survive it."_

"_Blair, I promise I won't-"_

"_Don't," She cut him off, "Don't make empty promises. Just-, just prove to me, okay?"_

"_I can do that," He said quickly, nodding his head as a large, genuine smile spread across his face, "I can-, I will. Don't worry, Blair. I know you can't trust me right now, but I'll show you. I will."  
_

_"Okay, Bass," She laughed, pushing him away slightly, "Calm down. I don't think I've ever seen you this joyous. It's scaring me a little."_

"_Sorry, Love," He said, pulling her close again, "You just bring out the best in me."_

_She rolled her eyes but smiled when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, chaste kiss. They _were_ taking it slow, after all._

…

The twins could not be more excited for their plans on their last evening of freedom. Their parents had taken the three younger children to visit Harold and Roman in France for the week and since Ed and Theo had missed more than the acceptable days of school in the first semester of their senior year, they were required to remain at home, alone.

Their family was returning the next morning, so in order to take advantage of the empty penthouse the boys had invited over a pair of dancers from Julliard and they were eagerly looking forward to seeing if these girls were just as flexible as they claimed to be.

Ed was busy making the girls drinks when Theo received a phone call from none other than Anne Archibald. He debated ignoring the call, since she had been blatantly disregarding him for weeks, but in the end his curiosity got the best of him. He excused himself and walked just outside of the room to answer the call, "Well hello, Archibald. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey, Bass," She said shortly, "Are you and your brother at home?"

"We are…" He trailed off questioningly, waiting for her to continue.

"Great, we will be there in fifteen minutes."

Theo cleared his throat awkwardly, "You know that I usually welcome your company for an evening, Archibald, but Edward and I are actually entertaining guests this evening."

"Well make the whores leave," Anne commanded, "Because we are already in the cab."

Ed's brow furrowed, "Who is this 'we' you keep talking about?"

His question was met with silence before he heard Anne sigh, "We'll be there soon. If the skanks aren't gone when we arrive, there will be hell to pay, and I know you don't want that, Theodore."

"It will be taken care of."

"Good." She said before hanging up the phone without waiting for his reply.

"Good-bye to you too, Lover," Theo said as he rolled his eyes.

He pocketed his phone and rejoined his brother and their guests in the room. Ed looked at him suspiciously, "Who was on the phone, Theo?"

Theo looked at him for a moment before he turned his attention to the girls, "I'm sorry, ladies, but that was an old family friend. It seems like there has been a change of plans and my brother and I are going to have to take a rain check on this evening. I hope you don't mind."

The girls pouted, but began to say it was not a problem before Ed held up his hand and rose to his feet, "Theodore, can I speak with you for a moment." He said pointedly as he directed his brother to the far side of the room so they could talk in private.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He hissed once they were far enough away.

Theo sighed, "Look, I'm sorry, but Anne called and she said-"

"I knew it." Ed interrupted, "This is bullshit. Just because you have a new piece of ass coming over here to entertain you for the evening doesn't mean you get to kick out my source of fun. I know your precious Anne won't approve of them, but I don't give a shit. Why don't you just grow a pair and tell her to deal with it."

Theo crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow at his brother, "Are you done?"

Ed matched his expression perfectly, "Why? Do you really have a legitimate defense for trying to cock-block me?"

"Anne isn't coming alone," Theo explained, "She didn't say exactly who is coming, but I think it might be Emily."

Ed's anger disappeared as he stared at his twin in shock before his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "And why would you come to that conclusion? Emily is in DC and there is no way her parents would let her back in the city, especially not to go out alone with Anne."

Theo shook his head in bewilderment, "I don't know, it was just…the way she was talking. I can't explain it-, it just wasn't like a typical booty call, you know?"

Ed's jaw clenched before he let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine. But if Emily is not with her, do not think for one second that I am going to let you enjoy a nice, uninterrupted evening with your concubine."

Theo rolled his eyes, "Fine. Now, come on, we need to get the dancers out of here. Anne said they would be arriving soon."

…

As they rode the elevator up to the penthouse, Anne reached over and squeezed Emily's hand reassuringly, "Don't worry, Em, everything is going to be okay."

Emily was staring straight ahead, completely petrified. She was taking deep, even breathes, choosing to focus on that so as not to break down in a panic. She couldn't believe she was here. She couldn't believe she was doing this. "You don't know that." She said quietly, never taking her eyes off the doors in front of her.

"No," Anne conceded, "But even if Ed turns out to be even more of a dick than I think he is, I'll still be here for you."

Emily swallowed deeply as they finally reached the top floor of the building, "I don't know if that will be enough," she whispered under her breath as the doors slid open.

…..

A/N: Blah, this chapter got really long, so I cut out the last section and moved it to the next chapter. Also, the flashback kind of relates more to the next chapter than this one, but I promised it would be now, so here it is. Also, the connection is vague at best, but future flashbacks will be more directly related.

Now go review! Because of the unexpected cut-off, the next chapter is almost half written. Get excited.


	17. Decisions

Anne and Emily walked out of the elevator just as Ed and Theo were leading the dancers to it. It had taken longer than anticipated to get rid of their guests, and both of the twins were slightly embarrassed to have the four girls meet.

The dancers scowled at the girls that were obviously coming to replace them, causing Anne to roll her eyes haughtily while Emily just continued to look down at her feet.

Once the random girls were in the elevator, Anne turned to the boys with her hands on her hips, "Nice." She said sarcastically, "Real classy. I'm sure your parents would love to know that you were keeping such _quality_ company while they were away."

"What, are you jealous, Archibald?" Theo asked with a smirk.

But Ed didn't respond to Anne's insult. He was too busy looking at Emily with an almost tender gaze. She had finally raised her eyes and was staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

Theo cleared his throat, looking between the two of them, "Well, this is awkward."

Anne glared at him, "Shut up, Bass. And get your coat. We're going out."

He frowned in confusion, "We are? Why?"

"I haven't let you touch me, or even spoken to you in over a month and here I am offering to spend the evening with you. Are you really going to sit here and question it?"

Theo's eyes widened, but he didn't respond. Instead he stepped into the nearby closet and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go," he said when he reemerged, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the elevator.

Anne giggled at his enthusiasm, but stopped before they could leave. She turned around and pulled Emily into a quick hug, "If you need me, just call. I'll be here as fast as I can."

"I thought you were going to be with him," Emily said pointedly, with just a hint of a grin on her lips.

Anne waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, _that_ won't be happening for a while; a couple of hours probably. Don't worry; you'll have plenty of time to call before then."

"Oh, we'll see about that." Theo said smarmily from the elevator, "Come on, Archibald, let's get out of here."

Anne squeezed Emily's hands one last time, "Good luck, Em."

"Thanks, A," she said before returning her gaze to Ed, who had not been able to look away from her the entire time. She was so beautiful; so perfect. He could not believe she was here, with him again.

They were so wrapped up in each other that neither Ed nor Emily heard Theo and Anne get on the elevator and leave the penthouse. After a moment, Ed took a tentative step forward and his mouth twitched in an almost-smile, "Hey," he said simply.

"Hi," she replied weakly, finally breaking eye contact and looking at the floor.

"I didn't know you were in town." He said with a hint of joy in his voice, "When I came down to visit, you made it seem like your parents were never going to let you come back up here."

"They didn't. They don't know I'm here. I told them I was spending the night at a friend's house."

"The same friend that you went to the dance with?" He asked with a devious smirk as he slowly approached her.

She smiled and shrugged, "Of course. How many friends do you think I have in DC?"

He let out a low chuckle, "My, my, my, what a naughty girl you have become," he said as he moved nearer, "Lying to your parents, sneaking out behind their backs, seeking out sexual pleasure with a Bass-,"

He reached forward to pull her against his body but she stopped him, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him back, "Ed, stop. That's not why I came here."

He frowned in confusion, "It's not?"

"No. I need to talk to you."

Ed sighed and rolled his eyes in a teasing manner, "Don't worry, Vanderbilt, we have all night. We can talk after."

He tried once again to kiss her, but Emily moved away once more, taking a few steps backward to put some space between them, "Stop, Bass, I'm serious."

Ed groaned in frustration and wiped a hand over his face, "Fine," he spat a bit more harshly than he meant to, "What is it that you want to talk about so very badly that it can't wait?"

Her jaw clenched in anger as she glared at him, "I'm pregnant," She said bluntly. She tilted her head and gave him a patronizing look, "Are you sure you still want to just hop into bed with me?"

He merely blinked at her, unable to comprehend what she had just told him. "You're pregnant?"

"That's what I just said."

"Are-, are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," She said defensively, "And yes, I'm sure it is yours. I'm not some fucking whore."

Tears had sprung to her eyes almost instantly at his seemingly innocent question. It had been a long, stressful day for her and her hormones had finally gotten the best of her.

She had been worried about telling him since she had found out a few days ago. She didn't know how she would tell him or how he would react. She had no clue what she wanted to do about the situation, but she wasn't sure if telling Ed would do any good in helping her decide.

But, of course, that was his next question. "What do you want to do?"

Emily took a deep, shaky breath, "I don't know," she said, looking anywhere but at him, "When I told my parents-"

"You told them?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" She said, meeting his eyes again, "I had to. If I didn't, then my doctor would have. The Vanderbilt billions comes before doctor-patient confidentiality." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "Anyway, when I told them, at first my mom said I had to get married. But when I told her that you were the father she decided that would not be acceptable and that I would just have to get rid of it."

"Well is that what you want to do?" Ed prodded gently.

"I don't know!" Emily said in exasperation, "Is that what _you_ want to do?"

Ed shook his head, "I want what _you_ want. Whatever you decided to do, I will support you. If you want to get rid of it, I'll make the appointment and pay for it and even go with you if you want. Or if you want to keep it I'll be there for you through it all. I'll even move to fucking Washington if you wanted me to." He shrugged his shoulders, "Or if you wanted to give it up-,"

"No." Emily said crisply, "That isn't an option for me." Noticing Ed's questioning look she continued, "This child is the result of years of good breeding and is inherently a member of the most elite of elite. There is no way I am letting her be raised by some conservative Christians on a farm in Iowa."

Ed snorted, "Good point."

Emily groaned and buried her face in her hands, "This is all so confusing. There are so many things I need to think about and I just don't know what to do! I mean, my parents basically said-"

"Stop," Ed said, gripping her shoulders lightly, "Just stop. This isn't your parents' decision to make. Now I already told you I would agree with whatever you choose to do, so you need to think about what you want; if you think that we can have this baby and still go to college and do what we want, or if you think you will be able to go through with the procedure to get rid of it."

"I don't think I can," Emily said softly, looking down and placing her hands over her stomach protectively, "I can't imagine just-, just killing my child."

"Neither can I," Ed said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, "So it's settled then."

Emily reeled back and stared at him with wide eyes, "But-, but I can't. I mean, what about school and-, and my parents and-"

"Shh," He soothed, pulling her against him once again, "We don't have to figure everything out right now. My parents will be home in the morning. We can tell them and then I'm sure they will help us with a lot of these decisions. Okay?"

He felt her nod against his chest and he began rubbing her back, "Come on, let's go upstairs. You can sleep in my bed tonight."

She moved her head to glare at him, "I am _not_ having sex with you, Edward Bass."

Ed chuckled, "That's not what I meant, Vanderbilt. I'll sleep in Theo's bed, or in the guest room if you would prefer, but you look exhausted. I'm sure you have had a long day and I just thought you might like to get some rest."

Emily stifled a yawn. She _was_ tired, and she remembered from the last time she had spent the night here that Ed's bed was _very_ comfortable. "Okay," she agreed hesitantly, "Thanks, Bass."

"Anything for the mother of my child," he said with a smirk, causing her to push him away and storm up the stairs away from him.

…

A/N: Okay, this was supposed to be the end of the last chapter, so the part that connects to the previous flashback will actually be in the NEXT chapter. Hahaha. They just keep getting so long. Ugh. So get prepared for C&B's reaction!

Also, I know the timeline might be kind of close, but I like to think Ed came down to visit her around December 15-17 and now it is like January 20ish. That might be too soon, but whatevs, it needs to be like this in order for things to work.


	18. Sharing the News

Ed had not been able to sleep all night. He had spent hours tossing and turning, constantly thinking about Emily and the baby and his future with them. At the crack of dawn he couldn't take it anymore and got out of bed. He took a shower and got dressed before sitting down at his laptop to begin reading everything he could find about pregnancy and raising a baby.

Emily had slept peacefully throughout the entire night. He had been right, she was exhausted and he was glad she was finally getting the sleep she so obviously needed.

It was a little before nine when Ed heard her stirring. He had just finished reading about the importance of burping a baby when Emily bolted out of the bed and into the bathroom. He got up to follow her as he heard the distinct sound of retching coming from behind the door she had just disappeared through.

He rubbed her back soothingly as her vomiting gradually subsided. When she rested her head against the cool porcelain he stepped back and helped her to her feet. Ed led her back to the bed and once she was seated he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Do you-, um, do you need anything? A glass of water or something?"

"Water would be nice," she smiled up at him weakly, "Thanks."

Ed nodded, "I'll be right back."

He went down to the kitchen and poured some Perrier for Emily. He had just returned the bottle to the refrigerator and grabbed the glass off the counter when the elevator opened and his parents and younger siblings entered the penthouse. Fitz and Ricky looked to be asleep on their feet and Chuck had a sleeping Lexie in his arms as he directed the doormen carrying their bags.

Blair was the first one to notice Ed standing in the kitchen, "Edward!" she said in surprise, "I didn't expect you to be up this early on a weekend."

"Hey, Mom," he greeted her half-heartedly before he kissed her cheek and she gave him a quick hug, "How was France?"

"Oh, wonderful darling," Blair said with a wave of her hand, "Is your brother up too?"

"Uh, no, he's not here-," Ed began, but he was interrupted by the elevator opening once again and Theo stepping into the apartment.

Theo looked around the room, surprised to see everyone there. "Hey…" He said slowly as Blair approached him. He bent down to embrace her and he met Ed's gaze over her shoulder.

In those few seconds the twins communicated everything they needed to know. Anne had ended up telling Theo Emily's news and he realized that his brother needed to speak to their parents alone.

Blair was asking him how his week was as Theo grabbed her shoulders gently, "Look, Mom, I would love to hear all about your trip and catch you up on everything that happened here, but you just got in, I'm sure it can wait until later."

"I am kind of tired," Blair agreed.

Theo walked over towards his father, "Why don't I take these guys upstairs and put them to bed for you." He said as he took Lexie from Chuck and began to direct the two younger boys up to the second floor.

"Thank you, Theodore." Chuck said as he walked over to his wife's side, "Come on, Blair, let's go lie down."

"Wait," Ed called out, causing Chuck and Blair to pause and turn to look at him, "I have to talk to you about something."

"Can't it wait a few hours?" Chuck asked with a sigh.

Blair elbowed him in the ribs and looked back at her son with an inquisitive tilt of her head, "What is it, Edward dear?"

Ed ran his hand through his hair nervously, "Um, can you-, could you just wait for me in the sitting room? I have to go upstairs quick, but I will be right back."

Chuck was scrutinizing his son, trying to figure out what he was hiding, but Blair just nodded her head, "Sure, sweetie."

"Great," Ed said quickly, "I promise, I won't be long."

Without waiting for their reply, Ed took the glass of water and bolted up the stairs to get Emily and figure out how exactly they were going to break the news to his parents.

…

While Chuck and Blair were waiting for Ed to return, Blair noticed that Chuck was silent and he seemed rather pensive.

"What's wrong, Mr. Bass?" She teased, cuddling up close to him, "Are you worried? I thought the Bass checkbook could get your children out of any sort of trouble they might get into."

Chuck looked at her seriously, "That is what I have always said, but Edward knows that. If he is as concerned as he seems, it makes me believe this is some sort of problem that money can't fix."

Blair frowned, "Like what?"

Chuck shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Blair became sober with worry just as Ed came into the room with Emily following close behind. Chuck's brows rose and Blair's eyes widened, but neither of them commented on their unexpected guest.

The two teenagers sat down across from Chuck and Blair and avoided the older couple's gaze. Chuck's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked between the pair.

"Edward, what is going on?" Blair asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence, "You are scaring me and your father."

"Mom, Dad," Ed began as he reached over and took Emily's hand in his.

But before he could continue, Chuck interrupted, "Edward," he said warningly, "Do not say what I think you are going to say."

"What?" Blair asked, looking between her husband and her son with a mixture of worry and confusion, "What is it?"

Ed sighed and looked away for a moment before he returned his gaze to theirs, "We-, uh, Emily is-, she's pregnant."

"Damnit, Edward," Chuck growled, tightening his hands into fists in frustration, "I thought I taught you to be careful!"

"I was!" Ed exclaimed, "We-, we were," He looked down and shook his head, "It must have broke, or something."

Chuck's jaw clenched angrily, "I know that you are infatuated with this girl, but I can't believe you would be so careless and so-"

"Stop, Chuck," Blair said, placing a hand on his chest, "You're not helping."

They stared at each other for a few moments, engaging in a silent conversation, before Chuck sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "What do you plan to do?" He looked up at them wearily, "I'm assuming you know what your options are."

Emily decided to add to the conversation for the first time, "I don't think I can just get rid of it, but my parents didn't really give me much of a choice." Her voice broke as she continued, "They told me that if I have this baby they won't support me. Basically, I will lose everything. No inheritance, no events, no Columbia…"

"Sweetie," Blair said, reaching forward to pat Emily's knee, "This isn't your parents' decision to make. Whether you choose to have this baby or if you choose to have it taken care of, Chuck and I will be here to support both you and Edward."

Emily smiled at her through her tears, "Thank you, Mrs. Bass."

Chuck looked between his son and Emily, "So you think you want to keep it then?"

"Yes," Ed said, glancing at Emily uncertainly, "That-, that's what we decided when we talked about it last night."

Emily nodded in agreement, "I just don't know how-"

Blair instantly sat up straight and went into full-out planning mode, "Well, if your parents are going to react how you think they will, you will obviously move in here. We have three empty bedrooms, so you are free to choose which ever one you wish." As she was talking, Chuck had pulled out his phone and was typing away, making all kinds of arrangements for Ed and Emily. Blair barely took notice and continued speaking, "It is still early in the semester, and I know you have an impeccable record, so I'm sure Constance will welcome you back-"

"No." Emily interjected, causing Blair to pause and look at her in shock, "Thank you, but I don't know if I want to return to Constance." She wrapped her arms around her stomach subconsciously, but Blair noticed it.

"Emily, dear," She said patiently, "If you really don't want to go back to Constance that is fine; we could get you tutors for this last semester. But if you are just worried about what the other girls will say about your condition…well, you just don't have to tell them." She said with a simple shrug.

Emily looked skeptical, "I think they will figure it out when I start to get fatter and fatter."

Blair rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, we can take care of that. By the time graduation rolls around you will only be, what, about six months along? And judging by your body type, I don't think you will get overly large. Between your aunt and myself, you will have two of the best fashion houses in New York on your side, so I think we will be able to come up with some suitable and flattering maternity wear to cover up that baby bump until you are ready for people to know."

"Really? You think you will be able to do that?" Emily asked hopefully.

"Of course we will," Blair said easily, "Now, about Columbia, when are you due?"

"Um, September-"

Blair nodded, "That's what I thought. So that means you will probably have to defer for the first semester, but by the second semester you should be ready to start."

"But I can't," Emily protested, "Once my parents cut me off I won't have the money and it's not like I will just be able to have a baby in my dorm room."

"Don't be silly, you can stay here," Blair explained, "Of course, you and Edward will have to try to coordinate your schedules so one of you can be with the baby, but if you both have a class at the same time then I can watch it. I mostly work from home anyway, so it will be easiest for everyone. And don't concern yourself with the money; we will take care of everything. You are not going to give up college just because your parents have the mindset of a sixteenth century Puritan community."

Emily began to protest, "You don't have to-"

"Oh please," Chuck interrupted as he finally put his phone away, "You are a part of this family now. That is what we do; we take care of each other."

"Well, um, thank you," She said shyly.

Chuck's mouth lifted in a polite half-smile for an instant before he rose and turned his attention to his son, "Edward, can I speak with you in private for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure Dad," Ed said suspiciously as he stood up and followed Chuck out of the room.

They went across the hall into Chuck's office and once he had closed the door, Chuck gestured for his son to take a seat as he sat down behind his desk.

Ed waited patiently for his father to speak. Chuck pursed his lips and tapped his fingers together before he began, "You probably aren't going to like this, but I have to ask. Are you sure that this child is yours?"

Ed visibly reeled back in his seat, "Excuse me?"

Chuck looked up at him with a piercing stare, "Do you know for a fact that you are the father of Emily Vanderbilt's child?"

Ed's eyes narrowed angrily, "Yes, Dad, I-"

"How?" Chuck asked sternly, "How do you know?"

"Because she told me-"

Chuck's eyebrows rose, "She told you? Oh, that's enough for you? Look, son, I know you have feelings for this girl, but that doesn't mean that she can't be using that-"

"I went to see her," Ed said, causing Chuck to pause, "Before Christmas. I flew down and visited her."

"I know."

Ed was shocked, "What do you mean, you know?"

Chuck smirked, "Do you really think that because you took a commercial flight I wouldn't find out about it? Or that I wouldn't notice when you used your credit card to purchase a plane ticket and then proceed to make all sorts of charges in the District of Columbia?" Chuck shook his head, "I didn't ask if you _could_ be the father, I want to know if you are absolutely sure that you are."

Ed sighed, "Then no, I guess I'm not sure. But, Dad, I know Emily and she wouldn't-, she wouldn't do that."

Chuck nodded, "Yes, I'm fairly certain that she is telling the truth, but regardless, you have to be positive." He leaned back in his chair and straightened out his suit, "I have scheduled a doctor's appointment for Monday with Dr. Morski. He was your mother's doctor; very professional, very discreet. You will have a paternity test done then."

Ed bolted upright in his seat, "What? Dad, no, I don't need-"

"Either you do one now or after the baby is born." Chuck said, "It is your choice. But I know you, Edward, and if you wait until after the birth you will become attached to both Emily and this child. If you find out then that it isn't yours you will be devastated," Chuck's face softened slightly, "Although it seems to be highly likely that you _are_ the father, you need to be certain."

Ed's jaw clenched, "Fine. If you insist."

"I do." Chuck stared at his son, "You have to understand, I have to do this. As your father, I need to do what I can to protect you from anyone that might try to take advantage of you. It isn't that I don't trust Emily, it is just that if there is any doubt-"

"Whatever," Ed said curtly. He then stood up from his chair, "Are we done here?"

Chuck nodded as he rose to follow his son out of the room.

At the door, Ed turned back around, "Look, Dad, I do get it; why you feel the need to do this. I think it is completely unnecessary, but I understand."

The side of Chuck's mouth lifted in a half-smile and he nodded his head once, "Thank you."

…

Back in the sitting room, Blair and Emily waited for the men to return.

"What do you think Mr. Bass wanted to talk to him about?" Emily asked after they had been gone for awhile.

Blair was examining her nails as she answered off-handedly, "He is probably just telling him to get a paternity test, or that he already has one scheduled."

Emily's eyes widened, "What? Why would he think that-, I would never-, Ed is the only one I've ever-, he _is_ the father of this baby, Mrs. Bass."

"Oh I know," Blair said, looking up long enough to flash a quick smile, "And deep down I'm sure Chuck knows it too. If there was any chance Edward was not the father, you never would have put yourself through all this trouble and faced your parents' wrath; not if there was someone else you could hold responsible. It just wouldn't be smart; they hate my son more than anyone. And you are a smart girl, you would know better."

Emily wasn't sure how to respond, "Um, thank you?"

"But Chuck always takes extra precaution. He's not very good at trusting people, especially when it comes to his family. He just wants to be sure," Blair said before she finally dropped her hands and turned her full attention to the teenage girl in front of her, "Actually, Emily, I wanted to speak with you about something too." Emily looked frightened, so Blair quickly reassured her, "It's not bad, don't worry. I just-, I already told you that you are more than welcomed to move in here, but have you thought about what you would do if your parents don't react how they think they will?"

"You mean if they don't disown me on the spot?"

"Well, yes. I would understand if you wanted to stay down there with them. And if you wanted Edward to move down there with you-"

"No," Emily shook her head, "Even if my mom magically changed her mind, which I don't think she will, but if she did, I wouldn't want to stay with her. To be honest, I don't want my mom's help. I would much rather be here and learn from you."

Blair was flattered, "Are you sure? Because if you make that choice, your parents definitely won't be happy-"

"I'm sure." Emily said confidently just as Chuck and Ed reentered the room.

Ed went to stand behind Emily while Chuck remained where he was and placed his hand in his pocket and cleared his throat, "I called and had the Bass jet prepared. As soon as you are ready it will take you down to Washington so you can gather your things and talk to your parents. The pilot will remain on standby, so you can come back tonight or if you aren't feeling up to it you can spend the night there and fly back tomorrow. It will be up to you."

"Thank you," Emily said with wide eyes, looking between Chuck and Blair, "You didn't have to do that. I-, I have a ticket-"

"Yes, but I don't." Ed said from behind her.

She turned to look at him, "You're coming with me?"

Ed smiled, "I figured you might require some help packing and some moral support when you break the news to Tripp and Maureen."

Emily closed her eyes and groaned, "I don't even want to think about it."

Blair reached forward and patted her knee again, "You'll get through it, I promise."

Emily stood and sighed, "Let's just go and get this over with. But we will need to stop at Anne's dorm first so I can change."

"There should be a limo waiting downstairs." Chuck told them as they grabbed their coats and headed for the elevator.

"Good luck!" Blair called out, causing Emily to smile half-heartedly and Ed to wave as the doors slid closed.

Once they were gone, Blair stood up and stepped close to Chuck, resting her head against his shoulder, "I can't believe this. I'm going to be a grandmother."

Chuck stroked her hair and wrapped an arm around her waist, "It could be worse."

She leaned back and stared at him, "Our barely eighteen year old son is about to have a baby with a girl who's parents hate both him and our entire family. How could it possibly be worse?"

"He could have impregnated one of those gold-digging, Jersey tourist girls that he used to always bring back from the clubs."

Blair's face dropped in horror at the very thought of such a travesty, "Oh god, don't even say something like that."

Chuck laughed, "Come on, lover, let's go to bed. It's been a long morning."


	19. Confrontations

"_Honey I'm home!" Chuck called out with a grin as he entered the temporary apartment he was sharing with his new wife. The remodeling of their penthouse had gotten delayed so it hadn't been finished when they returned from their three week honeymoon in Italy. _

_When he didn't hear any response, Chuck ventured further into the apartment. They had only been home for a few weeks and although he knew it wouldn't keep happening forever, the welcome home from his bride was something Chuck looked forward to everyday, "Blair? Where are you?"He walked into the bedroom and found her sitting on the edge of their bed looking off in a daze, "There you are. Why didn't you answer when I called?" He paused when he took in her worried expression, "Is everything alright?" He asked as he took a seat next to her._

_She immediately stood up and began pacing, "No, everything is not alright, Chuck. Nothing is going according to my plan. I was supposed to graduate from Columbia, get a job and get settled and _then_ get married, but you already ruined that, and now I was supposed to start working at my mother's line next week but that probably is not going to happen anymore either."_

"_What? Was the completion date on the penthouse pushed back again?" Chuck asked with a scowl as he pulled out his phone, "This is unacceptable. I'll make sure that lazy interior designer never gets hired again-"_

_Blair snatched the phone out of his hands, "That's not what I'm talking about, you Basshole. The penthouse is right on schedule."_

_Chuck stood up and placed his hands on her arms, "Then what exactly is wrong?"_

_She sighed and looked down, "I'm pregnant." She looked up at him bitterly, "We haven't even been married for two full months and you've already managed to knock me up."_

_His eyes widened in shock, "Wha-, How?" _

_Blair rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, Chuck, you know we weren't exactly being careful while we were in Italy."_

_Chuck just couldn't wrap his head around it, "But-, but-, you're pregnant? We're having a baby?"_

"_Yes, Bass, we are."_

_His brow furrowed as his hands moved down to her waist and he looked deeply into her eyes, "Are you not happy about this?"_

_She took a step back, "Are you?"_

_But he wouldn't let her escape him. He stepped forward and searched her eyes, "Blair, I'm thrilled. You are carrying my child, why would I ever be anything less than ecstatic?"_

_She looked away, "I don't know, I-, I just thought maybe it was too soon, or that you'd get scared-,"_

"_Blair, I love you," He smiled at her, "I want this with you. Don't you want it too?" _

"_I do!" She agreed quickly, "I do, it's just-, this isn't how I planned for it to happen."_

_Chuck's smile morphed into his typical, devilish smirk, "When are you going to get it, Mrs. Bass? While you're with me nothing is ever going to go according to your fairytale plan."_

_Blair rolled her eyes as a small smile formed on her lips, "You'd think I would have realized that by now, wouldn't you?"_

_Chuck laughed quietly as he pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers, "So we're really having a baby?"_

_She nodded and giggled, "I still have to go to the doctor, but yes, we are."_

_He grin grew and he moved forward to press his lips to hers, "I think we should spend tonight celebrating, don't you agree?"_

"_I do, especially since it will probably be our last opportunity," Blair said cryptically, causing Chuck to look at her in confusion before she continued, "Because my mother is going to kill you once she finds out you have delayed my career once again."_

_Chuck actually looked slightly afraid at the thought of Eleanor's wrath, which caused Blair to laugh and wrap her arms around his neck, "Don't worry, Bass," She told him, "I'll protect you."_

…

The rented limo pulled up in front of the Vanderbilt house in Washington D.C. and Ed and Emily stepped out.

Seeing Emily's tense posture, Ed nudged his shoulder against hers and smirked, "Relax, Vanderbilt. Everything is going to be fine."

"You can say that now," She muttered bitterly, "You've never directly faced the wrath of Maureen Vanderbilt before."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, lover, I'll protect you."

He tried to wrap his arm around her waist, but she shrugged him off and scowled, "Good luck with that, Bass. I think you will be too busy trying to protect yourself. Don't think all of their anger is going to be directed at me." Ed opened his mouth to respond, but Emily simply began to walk up the path towards the house, "Let's just get this over with."

Emily walked into the house with Edward following closely behind her. "Mom? Dad?" She called out tentatively when she didn't see anyone in the front room.

"Good, sweetie, you're home," Emily heard her mother say from the other room followed by the distinct sound of her approaching footsteps, "Your father and I were just-" Maureen rounded the corner and froze when she saw Ed Bass standing next to her daughter, "Oh dear God."

"Maureen, what is it?" Trip asked as he too entered the room. But his eyes widened as soon as he took in the scene before him, "Oh, Emily, you didn't."

"Yes, Emily," Maureen seethed, "Please tell me you did not tell him-"

"He deserved to know!" Emily's said angrily even as she took a step back closer to Ed, "He is the father and he deserved to have a say."

Maureen laughed bitterly, "He doesn't deserve anything. He won't have to give up everything for this mistake; he won't have to face the public scorn and judgment. He gets away scot-free while you have to deal with all the consequences."

"That's not true, Mom," Emily responded quietly, looking down at her feet as she lost her nerve.

But that only fueled Maureen's criticism, "Really? Do you think he is going to stick around and support you? Do you think he is going to help you raise this child? Is he even fit to be around a child? Come on, Emily, be smart. You know who he is and what kind of family he comes from. The Basses are-"

"We are nothing if not loyal," Ed said, finally having had enough of listening to Maureen bad-mouth him as if he wasn't standing right in front of her, "I told Emily I would support her no matter what decision she made and I will. I may not have any experience being a parent, but I've grown up with two of the best examples you could ever find-" Maureen and Trip shared a look and Trip snorted causing Ed's eyes to snap towards him with a glare, "Are you really going to stand here and mock my parents' child-rearing skills? Because, the last time I checked, Emily will be the second of your children to join our home as their second family. Obviously my mother and father must be doing something right, or you must be doing something terribly wrong," He shrugged his shoulders, "Either way, I don't think you are in the position to pass judgment."

Trip's hands balled into fists and Maureen's back was rigid with fury. "How dare you-," she began but Ed interrupted.

"Emily and I are having this child," He told them before he placed his hand on the small of Emily's back and looked down at her, "Come on, Em, let's go pack your things."

They were halfway up the stairs before they heard Maureen call out, "I hope you brought your own bags."

They paused and Emily turned around, "Excuse me?"

Maureen shrugged indifferently, "We told you that if you chose this route we would not support you. When you get cut off, you lose everything, including the things we have provided for you in the past."

Ed's eyes narrowed, "Are you serious?"

"Oh, completely," She responded calmly, "You see, Edward, not all parents sit back and enable their children's mistakes."

Ed took a step down towards the lower level, but Emily put a hand on his arm to stop him, "Don't, Ed." She sighed resignedly, "It's not worth fighting. I'll just pack what is mine and we'll go."

"Em-,"

"Please," She said, "I just want to get out of here."

He nodded and began to climb up the stairs after her, "Okay, okay."

…

When they came back down from packing up in Emily's bedroom, Trip had disappeared but Maureen was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. They had managed to fit everything into one bag, since Emily had only a few pieces of clothing and other items that had been gifts from friends or other family members and not purchased with her parents' money, but they did not have their own bag so they were forced to use one of the Louis Vuitton suitcases that had been in her room.

Ed saw Maureen eyeing the luggage so he deliberately took out his wallet and pulled out a few hundred dollar bills and set them on the nearby table. He looked at the money and the luggage in his hand and then back up at Maureen, "That should cover it," he said darkly before taking Emily's hand and walking towards the door.

"This is a bad decision, Emily," Maureen called, causing her daughter to freeze, "I wish you would reconsider."

Emily turned towards her and shook her head, "I can't. I-, I couldn't," She said, looking down and wrapping her hands around her stomach protectively.

Her mother's face hardened, "You're going to regret this. One day you'll realize how big of a mistake this is."

Ed clenched his jaw, but before he could respond, Emily looked up with a glare, "That is what you think, Mother, but I don't agree. So if you will excuse us, Ed and I need to leave. We have a plane to catch."

Without waiting for Maureen's reaction Emily turned and walked out the door with her head held high and Ed following close behind her. It was only once they were back in the limo that Emily let the stress get to her and broke down. The tears slid down her cheeks silently as she stared out the window, but when Ed noticed he pulled her against him and she cried into his shoulder until they reached the airport.

When they boarded the plane Emily's eyes were dry. She refused to let her parents be the cause her tears ever again.

…

That evening while Ed and Emily were flying back to New York, Blair was doing some bookkeeping at the Bass penthouse while Chuck was putting Lexie to bed when she heard the telephone ring.

The number was not one she recognized, but she answered anyway, "Hello?"

"How dare you," the voice on the other end of the line hissed, "You have no right to encourage my daughter to make the biggest mistake of her life."

"Excuse me?" Blair frowned, "Who is this?"

"I know that you let your children run around the city and do whatever the hell they want with absolutely no consequences, but this will ruin Emily's life and you are just letting her go down this road to destruction."

"Ah Maureen, of course, I should have known," Blair chuckled softly, "Look, I know that Emily is not making the choice that you wanted her to make, but that doesn't mean that it is the wrong one. And yes, I wish her and Edward weren't in this situation to begin with, but right now what they need is our support, not punishment."

"What do you know about punishment?" Maureen spat, "Your son could kill someone and you would pay off the judge and welcome him home with open arms."

"My children know the difference between right and wrong," Blair responded harshly, quickly losing her patience, "And it seems to me that you are actually the parent right now who is encouraging the termination of a human life."

"Don't you turn this around on me-"

"Look, Maureen," Blair cut in, "I may have raised my children differently than you, but if the fact that I am there for them when they are in trouble or if my helping them learn from their mistakes makes me a bad mother, then I guess that is what I am. Because I don't know about you, but I can't just turn my back on my children no matter what they may have done. I believe that it is a mother's job to love her children unconditionally, so that is what I have always done. And now I will do that for Emily too, since you obviously don't have the same belief."

Maureen was so furious that she almost didn't know how to respond, "You have no idea what-"

"You're right I don't," Blair responded without letting her finish, "All I know is what I have learned from your daughter and this conversation. And if you ever change your mind and decided to give your daughter the support she needs and deserves, I would be more than happy to welcome you back, although I don't know if I can say the same for Emily. But until then, I would appreciate it if you left my family alone. Goodbye, Maureen."

Blair hung up the phone without waiting for a response. Yes, it was rude but it was about time someone gave Maureen a taste of her own medicine.

…..

A/N: A lot of you have been asking about more sibling interaction, and it will come, I promise. I just don't want to get myself bogged down with too many characters or make it too confusing. But they will make more appearances and before the baby is born they will all be reunited, I promise.

Also, you may have noted that most of the wrath comes from Maureen. This is deliberate. I think Trip is pretty much a push-over and after everything that happened in Season 3, I think he would basically just go along with anything Maureen said. But, as always, you are welcome to disagree. Lol.


	20. First Day

A/N: So, originally, the first section of this chapter was supposed to go with the flashback from chapter 16, but I forgot to include it where I wanted to, so know it is here. You can go back and reread that flashback if you want, or not, it will still make sense.

…

On Sunday evening, Emily was busy preparing for her first day back at Constance. She was picking out the perfect accessories to add some flare and class to her uniform and the best designer bag to match her shoes.

She had just begun to consider how she would do her hair when she saw Blair standing in the doorway with a kind smile on her face, "How are you feeling about tomorrow?" She asked as she stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm nervous," Emily said, turning away from her vanity and facing Blair, "Everything has to be absolutely perfect."

"Don't worry," Blair said comfortingly, "I'm sure you will fit right back in with all of your friends."

Emily looked down, "I don't know about that…" She said skeptically.

"Well, no matter how bad tomorrow is, you know that you can always count on Edward and Theodore to be there for you." Blair reassured her with a pat on the knee.

But Emily was still unsure, "I know Ed has been supportive and great about everything the past few days, but I just-, I don't know if I can trust him. I'm scared that if I take one wrong step or say the wrong thing, or if he just gets bored or annoyed he will turn on me and use everything he knows to ruin me."

Blair nodded and smiled softly, "I understand why you might think that; Edward doesn't exactly have the most trustworthy background. But to be completely honest, I don't think he would ever do something like that; not to you."

Emily snorted, "Of course you would think that. You are his mom; you have to think the best of him." She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, "I just can't trust him and I don't know if I ever will."

"Sweetie," Blair said, waiting until Emily looked up to meet her gaze, "You might not be able to trust him now, but if you give him a chance, a chance to prove you wrong, then every single day that he stays and is there for you, and every single day that he doesn't hurt you, that trust will grow. And then one day you will reach a point where you barely remember why you ever doubted him in the first place." Blair paused and nodded with a smile, "Trust me, I would know."

Emily's brow furrowed in confusion, "But Chuck is-"

"Chuck hasn't always been the man you know him to be." Blair explained, "But Edward's similarities to his father go deeper than that devilish smirk and his good looks. Just remember that when you are having doubts." Blair stood and straightened out her skirt. Before she walked out of the door she turned back to Emily, "Tomorrow might be hard for you, but things are only going to get harder. It might be nice to have someone like Edward that you can count on your side."

…

On the way to school the next morning, Emily sat next to the window as far away from Ed and Theo as she could get in the limo. Ed knew she was nervous, so he reached across the seat and took her hand, "Relax, Vanderbilt," He told her, "Constance hasn't known what to do without you. You will be firmly enthroned again in no time. Plus, if anyone dares to try and cross you, Theo and I have your back."

She ripped her hand out of his and turned towards him with a glare, "I don't want you to _have_ anything. I don't want your help. You are not my friend, you are not my boyfriend. We are not together and we are not in love. We are nothing. We live together and we are in this situation together, but that is it. At school we are still mere acquaintances, both a part of two separate worlds."

"Em-"

"Please," She cut him off, raising her hand and turning back towards the window, "I can do this on my own. Just stay out of it."

Ed's jaw clenched and he slid away from her, "Fine," He huffed, "Do whatever you want."

Ed and Emily ignored each other for the rest of the ride, causing Theo to simply roll his eyes at their antics.

…

By the lunch period Emily was right back where she belonged, sitting at the top of the Met steps with her minions surrounding her. Only Chloe Collins, who had been taken over the throne in her absence, looked disgruntled over Emily's return.

"I just can't believe you're back, Em!" One of the girls gushed, trying her best to get back into Emily's good-graces.

Emily flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I know. It has been too long since I have been in the city. I'm just glad my parents realized the error of their ways and let me return."

"What made them change their mind?" Chloe asked, "I heard they were pretty upset about you getting caught having sex with Ed Bass in a school closet."

Emily glared at her, "Obviously whoever you got your facts from was ill-informed. Yes, my parents were angry, but not because I was having sex with that little Basstard in a dirty closet. We had merely skipped class together and were talking." Seeing the skepticism on Chloe's face, Emily gave her a knowing look, "You can check our school records if you don't believe me. My parents overreacted and thought it was a sign of my rebellion or that I was heading down a bad path or something," She rolled her eyes, "But they came to realize that they had overreacted and it was one minor indiscretion on my part that I would _never_ let happen again."

"But, Em," one of the girls began tentatively, "Why would you ever want to talk alone with Ed if not to…you know, sleep with him?"

Emily snorted, "In case you have forgotten, Edward's brother and my dear cousin have had an on and off relationship for years which has caused Ed and I to be stuck together on multiple occasions. We were only discussing some of the issues in Theo and Anne's relationship when we were discovered."

"Is that what they call it these days?" Chloe muttered under her breath.

But Emily heard it and raised her eyebrow at the girl, "What was that, Chloe? Did you have something to say?"

"Oh nothing," Chloe replied, "I was just wondering why your parents are letting you stay with the Basses when Ed was part of the reason they made you leave in the first place."

"Yeah," one of the other girl's chimed in, "Your parents don't even like the Basses that much to begin with. Why aren't you just staying with Anne's family?"

"Well, Anne is living in a dorm room now and everyone knows her mom is a complete bitch, so when Chuck and Blair offered I was more than willing to stay with them, despite the constant presence of the devil twins," She shrugged, "Mr. and Mrs. Bass have, like, no rules and they are super nice and generous. They may not be my parents' favorite people, but my brother helped me convince them that staying with the Basses would work out fine."

"Plus, I'm sure Blair must be able to get you all the latest Eleanor Waldorf designs, huh?" One of the minions asked eagerly.

Emily laughed, "Of course!" She replied, eager to change the subject. And as the conversation moved on to other topics, she didn't notice Chloe's silence or the suspicious look that had crossed over her face when they had been discussing her living arrangements.

…

Throughout the lunch period, Ed watched Emily on the Met steps from the nearby wall he was leaning against taking a smoke break with Theo.

"Dude, you need to focus." Theo said as he waved a hand in his brother face, finally breaking Ed out of his reverie.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

"No shit," Theo said, "I was asking if you wanted to skip French again today. I have no desire to sit through another boring lecture on the importance of correct pronunciation."

"I can't," Ed replied, his eyes still glued on the girl across the street, "I have to go."

Theo's eyes narrowed, "Why? Paris is like our second home. We can already speak French better than the teacher." He paused and followed Ed's gaze over to Emily and his face cleared in understanding, "Oh right, I forgot, Emily is in that class with us now."

Ed looked at his brother as he explained, "I just have to talk to her. I don't get why she is acting like this…"

"Look man, I get it." Theo said, clapping him on the shoulder, "But she is hormonal, and like it or not, from now on everything that goes wrong is going to be _your_ fault. So if you want my advice, keep taking care of her, just without letting her be aware of it. You and I both know that a lot has gone down since Emily left. She may be on top now, but she isn't going to stand a chance without some back up. There is so much she doesn't know, that she can't use to her advantage."

"You're right," Ed sighed, "I'm just going to have to go behind her back. It's for her own good anyway."

"Plus, knocking those mean girl bitches down a few pegs is always some fun." Theo said with a smirk.

Ed laughed, "That is so true, my dear brother."


	21. Preferences

A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I have just been super busy with mid-terms and stuff with my job and whatnot. But, the next update after this shouldn't be that far off since I am already half done.

This chapter is just a flashback that relates to the Ed and Emily part of the next chapter. The next chapter will have a second flashback that sort of reflects this one, but shows you how Chuck and Blair's relationship has grown over the years. Don't worry if this seems confusing right now, I think it will make more sense once I get the next chapter up.

But enjoy this short flashback for now!

…

_Chuck checked his watch again as he sat waiting for his wife to arrive. They were expecting their second child and they had an appointment with the doctor for a checkup. Blair had wanted to go baby shopping with Serena, who was also expecting, and Dorota's daughter was sick, so CJ had spent the afternoon at Bass Industries with Chuck and now they were supposed to be meeting Blair at the doctor's office._

_Chuck was checking his phone for the fifth time for any word from Blair when he heard someone say his name._

"_Chuck Bass? Oh my God, is that you?"_

_He looked up and saw a vaguely familiar blonde woman coming over. He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against and adjusted his hold on the baby in his arms, "Do I know you?" He asked the woman._

"_It's Amelia," She said, "I redecorated your parents' apartment a few years ago."_

_Chuck gritted his teeth and closed his eyes with a nod, "Ah, yes, I remember. How are you doing, Amelia."_

"_I'm great!" She said, "I have been doing some decorating for the doctor here and it is going really well. How about you? I see you have a baby," She looked at the child in his arms and noticed the ring on his finger, causing her eyes to widen slightly, "And you're married! Wow, I never took you for the marrying type."_

_Chuck smirked, "Neither did I. But there was one woman who managed to tie me down."_

_Just then the office door opened and a very pregnant Blair Bass came bustling in. "Sorry I'm late," She said, quickly kissing Chuck's cheek, "Serena couldn't pick a changing table and then the traffic was horrible…" She trailed off as she noticed the blonde woman standing there._

_Chuck quickly tried to keep her attention away from Amelia so she wouldn't get upset (he knew that her pregnancy hormones could be out of control and he didn't want to face her wrath), "Blair, love, why didn't you call me when you arrived? I would have met you outside-"_

"_Why?" She asked, "I may be disgusting and sweaty and the size of a whale, but I can still walk into a building without your assistance." _

_Chuck sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her forehead, "Don't be ridiculous, you look absolutely stunning."_

_Blair rolled her eyes, but he was right. She was so busy eyeing Amelia that she didn't notice all the other woman waiting in the office were staring at her with envy. She was over six months pregnant, but all of her baby weight was in her front. It was obvious that after she had the baby she would go right back to her previous weight. In fact, from behind, she didn't even look pregnant at all._

"_And who are you?" Blair asked the blonde woman with a tight, fake smile._

"_Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Amelia," She said, offering her hand in greeting._

_Blair looked at the hand for a moment, before choosing to ignore it until Amelia dropped her arm back to her side, "So how do you know my husband?" Blair asked her._

_Amelia became a bit nervous under Blair's scrutiny, "Um, I-, a few years ago I helped the older Mr. and Mrs. Bass redecorate their penthouse."_

"_Oh," Blair said kindly, before her brows shot up as she realized who exactly Amelia was, "_Oh_, so _you're_ the interior designer. I've heard about you."_

"_You have?"_

"_Blair…" Chuck pleaded, trying to keep Blair from saying anything too harsh._

_Blair ignored him and replied, "Of course. You are the slu-" She was interrupted as a nurse came out and called her name to go in and see the doctor. She looked back at Amelia, "Sorry, I guess you two will have to catch up another time. It was great to finally meet you."_

_Before Amelia could reply, Blair walked off with Chuck following closely behind her._

"_Blair," He called, "Blair, let me explain. She just came up to me and started talking. I didn't-"  
_

_She spun around and glared at him, "Shut up. I don't care. We are not talking about this here."_

"_Blair-"_

"_Enough. We have an appointment to see how our baby is doing." She turned back around and plastered a smile on her face as they walked into the examining room and greeted the doctor. Throughout the entire examination she kept her polite, cheery façade going, even though Chuck could tell that underneath it she was furious._

_When they arrived home afterward, Blair took CJ from Chuck and began to carry him up the stairs, "You must be tired, sweetie," She cooed, "After spending the whole day with your pig of a father, helping him pick up skinny little sluts. Mommy is sorry you had to go through that."_

"_Blair-" Chuck sighed, but she ignored him and continued up the stairs._

_He followed her and waited until she had put the baby down in his crib before taking her hand and pulling her into their bedroom._

"_Let go of me, Bass," Blair said, pulling herself free of his grasp and glaring at him, "I don't want to talk to you right now."_

"_Well that is too bad," He growled, "I want to talk about this. I don't understand why you are so angry."_

"_Because I found you flirting with a woman you abandoned me for back in high school!"_

"_I was not flirting," He said, "And I haven't seen her, or even thought of her, since I was seventeen. I barely even recognized her."_

_Blair lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh please, I bet she looks exactly the same; just as beautiful and skinny as she did back then, while I, on the other hand, have become this," She said, gesturing down towards her ever expanding stomach._

_Chuck smiled slightly as he stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips, "You have only become better with age. You have never looked sexier than you do right now."_

_Blair rolled her eyes, "Oh please, Bass. You don't have to lie to me."_

"_Blair, you are carrying my child. I don't think you understand what a turn on that is for me."_

_She looked at him skeptically, "So you would pick me, like this, over every stunningly gorgeous, size zero super model like Amelia?"_

"_Without a doubt," He told her as he looked into her eyes with pure adoration, "I love you. Nothing, or no one, will ever be more important than you."_

"_Good," She said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Can you just do me one favor?"_

"_Anything."_

"_Let's not have any more children. I hate being all fat and pregnant like this. And I know you claim to like this, but I also know you really prefer me tiny and tight like I am sans baby."_

_Chuck smirked, "I prefer you any way I can have you, as long as you are mine."_

_Blair rolled her eyes, "Shut up, Bass." She began to giggle as he immediately obeyed and instead focused on kissing up the length of her neck._


	22. Tell Me

A few days later, Ed approached Chloe Collins after school and leaned against the locker next to hers. She looked over at him with a glare, "Hello, Bass. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I heard you were trying to dethrone Emily Vanderbilt."

"I am," Chloe said with a grin, "Why, do you want to help?"

Ed snorted, "Not exactly. I just thought I would warn you and let you know that it's not worth it."

"Oh?" Chloe raised a brow, "And what would make you think that? I was the queen and that bitch stole my crown. She deserves to be destroyed."

"Ah, yes," Ed said with a teasing smile, "But you forget, Collins, that Emily is pretty much perfect. Any minor dirt you may be able to dig up on her is never going to compare to what will come out about you if you do this."

Her eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about, Bass?"

He smirked, "You think I don't know why you missed a full week of school after Thanksgiving break?"

Chloe's face dropped for a second, but she quickly regained her composure, "My family went skiing in Aspen. We go every year. Everyone knows that."

"Really?" Ed asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, "Because I have a picture from that week of you with the biggest outbreak of herpes of the mouth that I have ever seen." Chloe scowled and reached forward to grab the blackberry, but Ed pulled it out of her reach just before she could, "Ah, ah, ah. Sorry, Collins, you can't make this disappear that easily."

"What exactly do you want from me?" She growled angrily.

"I already told you," Ed said with his self-assured smirk still firmly in place, "Just leave Emily alone. You were just a placeholder. She was queen before you and now she is back to claim her rightful place."

"Why do you even care?" Chloe asked bitterly.

Ed looked away, "It doesn't matter."

Chloe's eyes lit up and she laughed, "Oh my God, you're in love with her. That is why you're doing this. You are head-over-heels in love."

Ed frowned, "The motives behind my actions are inconsequential. The fact remains that if you continue to plot against Emily I will release this photo and it will all be for nothing. No matter what you might be able to discover about Emily, when people see this, you will never regain the crown. The queen of Constance can't be a whore."

They glared at each other for a few moments before Chloe flipped her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes, "Fine, you win. I'll call off my search."

"Good choice," Ed said as his smirk quickly returned, "When are you going to learn, C, the Basses always win."

"Whatever, Bass," Chloe grumbled bitterly as she slammed her locker shut and walked off.

Ed chuckled softly to himself before he looked up and saw Emily standing at the end of the hall. His face immediately sobered when he saw the angry, hurt look in her eyes.

He walked over towards her and she immediately morphed her face into a mask of indifference and crossed her arms over her chest, "I just came to tell you that Theo and I are waiting in the limo. If you don't come out now, we are going to leave without you and you can find a cab or something to get home."

She turned around and walked off without waiting for a response or even to see if he would follow. But Ed quickly grabbed his bag and ran after her, "Emily, wait, let me explain."

"Why?" She asked, looking at him with what appeared to be indifference, "There is nothing for you to explain. We're not together. You can sleep with whoever you want. I thought you would have enough decency to avoid pursuing my worst enemy, but that is my own fault. I should have known better."

Ed grabbed her arm to keep her from storming off again, "No, Em, it wasn't what you thought. I was just-"

She lifted her hand to cut him off, "Like I said, it doesn't matter what I thought. Now drop it and stop causing a scene," She stood up straighter and lifted her chin proudly, "I really don't need a scandal on Gossip Girl right now."

When they reached the limo, Emily got in and sat in the farthest corner. Ed climbed in after her and sat by Theo, but throughout the ride he stared at Emily, willing her to look over at him even though he knew she would not discuss their issues in front of his brother.

As they rode the elevator up to the Bass penthouse, Theo could feel the tension and he would have laughed out loud if it wasn't so awkward. As soon as the doors opened to their apartment Emily hurried out and Ed rushed after her.

She stormed up the stairs with Ed close behind her, "Emily, please, can you let me explain?" He pleaded, but Emily continued to ignore him.

Blair watched them disappear to the second floor from her seat in the living room where she was helping Lexie with her reading homework. When Theo trailed in from the elevator she looked from the stairs over to him with a questioning look.

He shrugged, "I don't even know. Pregnancy hormones?"

Blair shook her head and laughed before she turned her attention back to her daughter. If Edward was anything like his father (which she knew he was), he wouldn't stop until he got Emily to listen to him.

…

Upstairs, Ed had managed to catch up to Emily before she could reach her bedroom. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, "Damn it, Vanderbilt, would you just listen to me?"

She sighed in frustration, "I already told you, you don't have to explain. I told you I don't need your help; and while I didn't think that would mean you would be working against me, I can adjust. I will just have to revamp my strategy," She paused and looked Ed up and down, "you may be a lazy perv, but you can take down a bitch better than anyone. Your alliance with Chloe may make it harder for me to maintain my throne, but I _will_ come out on top."

Ed smirked, "Oh, I don't doubt it."

"Good," She said with a hint of suspicion, but she quickly shook it away, "So while I don't advise you to sleep with Chloe Collins since, well, you don't really know where that skank has been, you can do whatever you want. From what I hear, she's pretty experienced, so I'm sure she will show you a good time."

Emily made a move to walk away from him, but Ed grabbed her wrist, "You're wrong, I _do_ know where she has been and even if I didn't I wouldn't want to sleep with her."

"Why? She's just your type; snarky, slutty, decent looking."

Ed shook his head, "That hasn't been my type since last summer."

Emily rolled her eyes, "Oh spare me the attempt at romance. I'm not buying it."

Ed scowled, "Well you should, because it's true. Ever since we were together I have not been able to stop thinking about you. With every girl, all I could do was picture you; comparing them to you. Why do you think I went to Washington? I missed you."

"No. You missed the sex."

"No," Ed countered, "That is what I told you. And while it was true, it wasn't the only reason for my visit. I missed _you_." He ran his hand through his hair, "God, don't you get it? I want you. I want you so much that I can't even think about other girls. And now that you're here, with me every day, I just-, I can't even see them. All I can see is you."

Emily's eyes were wide and scared, "You're lying."

He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her hips, "No, I'm not. I want you, Emily, just you. You're the only one. That's why I'm on your side."

"What?"

"I was only talking to Chloe today because I knew she was planning on trying to contact your parents and get the _real_ reason you came back to New York."

Emily's mouth dropped open, "Oh my God. My parents would tell her everything. I would be ruined."

"I know," Ed said calmly, "Which is why I had to show her that pursuing you would lead to her ultimate social destruction."

"What are you talking about, Bass?"

Ed smirked, "A lot has happened since you've been gone, Princess. Little Miss Collins has become even more of a tramp in your absence."

Emily grinned and shook her head, "And you, of course, have the proof of this."

"You know me well."

"Thank you." She said softly as he leaned in and kissed her.

She couldn't help but grin as he slowly began moving them back into her room until he was able to lower her onto the bed. Even after she tried her hardest to push him away he was still helping her. Maybe he really did care about her.

…

"_Daddy, can I get some street food?" CJ asked, tugging on this father's hand. The Basses were on vacation in Paris for a few weeks to spend some time with Blair's parents. Chuck and CJ were spending the day together; just the two of them and CJ was thrilled. Ever since the twins had been born it had become harder for his parents to dedicate a whole day to just him._

"_No." Chuck told him as the continued to walk._

_CJ stopped and tugged on his hand harder, "Please, Daddy? Just this once; as a special treat?"_

_Chuck sighed. He hated refusing, but Blair would be furious if she found out he gave their son dirty, greasy street kebobs. In the end, he gave in, "Okay, just this once. But don't tell your mother."_

"_Okay, I won't," CJ nodded eagerly as Chuck took out his wallet._

"_Chuck? Chuck Bass, is that you?"_

_He turned as he handed the money to CJ and his eyes widened when he saw who it was, "Eva?"_

_She smiled as she came closer, "Hello, Chuck, how are you?"_

"_I'm doing well, how about you?" Chuck asked, before his attention quickly returned to his son who was getting rather far away. "Charles!" Chuck called, causing his son to pause and turn around, "There is a cart right there," He said, pointing to a street vendor that was much closer than the one his son was heading towards._

"_But Dad, the one over there-"_

_Chuck shook his head, refusing to give in a second time, "No. You will get food right here, or not at all."_

_CJ pouted and grumbled under his breath as he followed his father's order and began walking towards the closer cart._

_Chuck turned his attention back towards Eva while still keeping an eye on his son, "Sorry about that."_

"_You have a son," She said in disbelief._

"_I do," He told her with a proud grin, "In fact, I have four sons."_

_Eva's mouth dropped open as her shock grew. Chuck still had his wallet out, so he opened it up and showed her the picture of his boys. _

"_They're beautiful," She said as she examined the picture, "And they look just like you. Except for-" _

_She began to point but Chuck already knew who she was talking about, "Harold," He said with a nod, "Yes, he takes more after his mother."_

_Eva smiled as he put the picture away, "So what brings you to Paris? Are you here on business?"_

"_Pleasure, actually," Chuck said, "My wife's family lives here."_

_Eva's eyes lit up, "You married a French woman?"_

_He chuckled and dipped his head, "Not exactly," He looked back up at her with his usual smirk, "I married Blair." He told her simply._

"_Oh," Her excitement dimmed before she nodded her head, "Oh that-, that makes sense. You two did have a very strong connection, even when I knew you." She forced a smile back on her face, "Well, congratulations. You seem to be very happy."_

_Chuck's smile was genuine as he replied, "I am. I really am."There was a slightly awkward pause in the conversation before Chuck remembered his manners, "What about you?" He asked, "How are you?"_

"_I am doing well," She said, "I-"_

"_Daddy!" CJ came running back, carrying his food and interrupting Eva, "Dad, look, I got a kebob!"_

"_Mm, it looks like a heart attack on a stick," Chuck said with a look of disgust as he eyed the greasy meat in his son's hands._

_Eva laughed softly, causing CJ to notice her for the first time. She kneeled down to his level and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Eva."_

"_Hi," The boy said wearily, as he took a step closer to his father. When Eva stuck out her hand for him to shake he shied away even more and shook his head, "My mom taught me not to touch poor people."He said, hiding behind his father's leg._

_Eva's eyebrows rose as she stood up and looked back at Chuck, "Charming," She said sarcastically._

_Chuck opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, CJ took a hold of his hand again, "Come on, Dad, let's go. We don't want to miss the beginning of the show."_

"_Of course not," Chuck said with a soft laugh as CJ tried to pull him down the street. He turned his head towards Eva once more, "It was good to see you, Eva."  
_

_"You too," She managed to reply before CJ began tugging even harder._

"_Dad, we're going to be late. Let's _go._"_

_His father chuckled, "Okay, okay, we're going." He began to follow his son, laughing at his eagerness._

_Eva watched them go, noticing the mutual adoration in the pair as Chuck ruffled his son's hair and CJ looked back up at him with a large grin._

…

_A few hours later, Chuck and CJ returned to the Basses' Parisian home. Since they spent so much time in the French city for Blair's parents and Chuck's business, they had recently purchased their own home there._

_Blair was sitting on the couch with Hank reading a story when they walked in._

"_Hi, Mom."_

_She looked up and smiled, "Hello, sweetie, how as your day with your father?"_

_CJ walked over towards her, "Great! We went to the park and then Daddy bought me some kebobs-," Blair frowned and glared at her husband for a moment before she focused back on CJ as he continued, "-and then we went to a play and got candy. We were almost late to the show because Dad was talking to some lady, but we made it just in time." _

_Blair's brows lifted, "A lady, huh?" She asked, turning her gaze back towards Chuck._

_Chuck cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "CJ," He said still looking at his wife, "Why don't you take your brother upstairs and share some of that candy." _

_Hank's face lit up and CJ nodded eagerly, "Okay. Come on, Hank."_

_The two boys ran up the stairs while Blair stood up and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Chuck to explain._

_He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "We ran into Eva on the street."_

"_Oh?" Blair asked feigning indifference as she picked the book off the coffee table and put it on a nearby shelf, "And how is she doing?"_

"_Good, I guess," Chuck said, "I don't really know. We talked about you and the kids and then CJ was ready to leave. I barely even got to ask about her."_

"_That's too bad," Blair said as she stepped to walk around him, "You must be really curious."_

"_No, Blair, I'm not," He reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, "Don't act like this. I already told you, I realized a long time ago that she didn't change me. She was just in the right place at the right time. I changed because of you; because of how I hurt you and how much I hated myself for it."_

"_I know," She said softly as she nodded, "I know, I just-, she is the only other woman you came close to loving."_

_Chuck shook his head, "She never compared to you. I love you, Blair, only you."_

"_I know," She said with a playful grin as she stepped closer to him, "You wouldn't have stuck me with four of your little brats if you didn't."_

_He smirked back at her and placed his hands on her hips, "You love those brats."_

"_True," She conceded, "But if you ever left me you know that I would use them to rob you blind."_

"_I'd never dream of leaving you," He said as he nuzzled her neck, "I don't think I would survive it."_

"_I know that too," She said while running her fingers through his hair, "Which is good, because I don't think I would either."_

_Chuck lifted his head and rested his forehead against hers, "I love you, Mrs. Bass."_

"_Hmm," Blair sighed, closing her eyes, "You would think I would get used to hearing that by now, but every time someone calls me that my heart flutters a bit."_

_He laughed softly and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "Come on, Mrs. Bass, why don't we check on those brats of ours and make sure they haven't devoured that whole bag of candy yet."_

"_Okay," She agreed, but she didn't let him move away from her. Instead she leaned forward and kissed him again, "I love you too, you know."_

"_Oh, I know." He said with a smirk before he tugged on her hand, "Now let's go, the sooner we put those boys to bed the sooner we can get to bed ourselves." He growled playfully._

_Blair couldn't help but laugh as she followed her husband up the stairs to find their sons._


	23. Questions and Answers

A few months had passed and May was quickly approaching. Over at Constance and St. Judes, Ed and Emily had become closer than ever and were considered to be the king and queen of the school. Whenever Emily wasn't with her minions or on the Met steps she could always be found with Ed beside her and after the last bell of the day Ed would always be leaning against her locker waiting for her with his usual smirk in place.

The power couple wasn't really into PDA (Emily especially found it to be disgusting and tasteless), but every once in a while, if you really watched them, you would see Ed gently stroke the back of her hand or her cheek, or sometimes, when he was feeling particularly bold, he would even go so far as to give her a quick kiss.

After Emily's first week back at Constance her and Ed spent more and more time together, and although they never discussed it with anyone or confirmed it, most of their classmates had assumed that they were an official couple and had taken it upon themselves to get proof (the tender moments in the hallway could hardly count as proof of true coupledom, they wanted solid evidence of exclusivity).

So when Ed and Emily emerged from an office building holding hands with small, matching smiles on their faces, a pair of freshman girls from Constance instantly got their phones ready. They watched as Ed opened the door of the limo and held it open for Emily. As she went to get in, she paused in front of him before she stepped closer and gripped the lapels of his jacket. The freshmen watched (and recorded) as Emily leaned into Ed and stood on her tip-toes to whisper something into his ear. When she leaned back, Ed searched her face for a moment before a wide grin formed on his face and he pressed his lips firmly against hers. In a matter of moments he had Emily pushed up against the limo with his hands tightly gripping her waist.

When the pair finally broke apart for air, the freshmen expect Queen Emily to be angry and reprimand Ed for his actions, so they were shocked when Emily giggled and gently kissed Ed's nose. She took his hand in hers and pulled him into the limo with her.

The freshmen watched as the car drove off and then looked at each other with wide eyes before they quickly sent the video to Gossip Girl so everyone could see just how serious Ed and Emily were about each other.

But in the limo Ed and Emily could care less about what Gossip Girl and their classmates were saying about them. They had just left a doctor's appointment where they had been able to see a sonogram of their child, which always put them in a better mood, and Emily had finally told Ed what she had been thinking for a while; that she was glad he was the father. If she had to be in this situation with anyone, she would have picked him.

They may not have been ready to discuss the extent of their relationship with anyone (even with each other), but everyone could see that they were committed to whatever it was that they had together.

…

Later that afternoon, Ed and Emily were lounging on the bed in her room trying to get some homework done when Lexie came skipping in.

She walked over to Emily's side of the bed and reached forward to touch the slight curve of her stomach which could be seen through the tight tank-top she was wearing. Emily looked over at her and smiled, "Hey, Lexie. What are you doing?"

"Just feeling the baby," She said as she gently moved her hand over Emily's stomach.

Ed looked up from his books with a scowl, "Go away, Lex. We're busy."

Lexie glared back at him and put her hands on her hips, "I just have a question!"

Ed's jaw clenched and he rolled his eyes, "Fine, what is your question?"

"It's not for _you_. It's for Emily." She turned her attention back towards Emily and put her hand back on her stomach.

"Yes, Lexie?" Emily prompted.

Lexie looked at her hand for a moment before she asked, "How did the baby get in your tummy?"

Ed snorted and smirked as he eagerly awaited Emily's response. She glared at him as she grumbled, "It's all your brother's fault."

"Yes, I know that," Lexie sighed dramatically, "But how did Ed get it _in_ there?"

Ed began snickering quietly as Emily's eyes widened slightly and she began stuttering and searching for an answer, "Well-, I-, um-,"

Before she could come up with something, Ed put a reassuring hand on her leg and looked at his sister, "Hey Lex, why don't you go ask Dad. Emily and I have homework to do."

"But-,"

"No buts, Kid," Ed told her, "Now get out of here."

Lexie pouted but she listened to her brother and went to find her dad. She knew that he would listen to her and answer any questions she might have.

…

"Chuck!"

His head shot up and he blinked his eyes a few times to gather his bearings. He must have dozed off at his desk again because Blair was standing in the doorway of his office with her hands on her hips, "You're ridiculous; you know that?" She said as she closed the door and approached him.

He smirked and pulled her onto his lap, "Yes," He told her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "But you still love me anyway."

She smiled and pressed her forehead to his with a sigh, "You need to rest more, Bass. When was the last time you slept more than five hours?" Before he could answer she continued, "I'll tell you when; it was over two weeks ago. You are not a teenager anymore, you need to sleep. You're running yourself ragged."

He playfully nipped at her lower lip, "Don't worry, Mama Bass, I'll be fine." His fingers began to undo the buttons on her blouse as his mouth moved to her ear, "And it is all worth it. I would never want to miss out on time with the kids-," He placed a lingering kiss on her jaw just as his hand finally found its way into her blouse, "Or with you."

Blair moaned softly, gripping his hair tightly and pulling his face up to hers for a searing kiss. She began to undo his tie and he had turned to focus his attention on his weakness, her neck. She ground her hips against his slightly, causing him to groan against her skin just as there was a knock at the door.

"Daddy, can I come in?" Lexie called from out in the hall.

Blair quickly stood up and buttoned up her shirt because, knowing Lexie, she wouldn't wait for permission before entering.

Sure enough, just a moment later, the door opened and Lexie came in, "Oh, hi Mom, what are you doing in here?"

"I-,"

Noticing her parents' flustered appearance, Lexie tilted her head slightly and gave them a knowing look, "Were you having another discussion?"

Chuck saw his wife's horrified expression and he grinned, "Yes, Alexandra, married couples tend to do a lot of _discussing_."

"Chuck!" Blair scolded, hitting him on the shoulder which only caused him to chuckle a bit more.

Lexie walked further into the room and Chuck picked her up and sat her on the edge of his desk, "So what can I help you with, Princess?"

She began to play with the hem of her dress, "I asked Emily how Ed got the baby into her tummy and she didn't get to tell me 'cuz Ed made me leave and told me to ask you."

Chuck's brows rose, "Oh?"

"Uh-huh," Lexie nodded, "So how did he do it? How did the baby get inside Emily?"

"Well, uh-," Chuck paused and ran his hand through his hair, "They slept together and-"

"Chuck!" Blair yelled, hitting her husband again even harder.

Lexie missed her mother's anger because she was looking down, deep in thought, "So, babies come from sleeping in a bed with a boy?"

Chuck glanced at his wife triumphantly and answered, "Yes, so don't do it, okay?"

"Okay," Lexie agreed, "I don't want a baby in my tummy. Thanks, Daddy." She gave him a kiss before she hopped down from the desk and scampered out of the room.

Once she was gone Blair looked at her husband and shook her head slowly, "I can't believe you just told her that."

"Why?" Chuck asked, "It was a great answer, and it will keep her away from boys until she is at least a teenager."

"Or until she tells that pathetic story you just told her to Fredrick or one of the twins. Then she will know what _really_ happens."

Chuck's smug expression disappeared, "They wouldn't."

Blair gave him a knowing look, "They are your children, what do you think they would do?"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, "Shit."

She laughed and took his head in her hands so she could kiss his forehead, "Don't worry, Bass, I'm sure she'll still turn out just fine."


	24. Escape

_Chuck arrived at the Waldorf penthouse and looked around expectantly. Blair had recently graduated from Columbia and ever then since she had been consumed with completing plans for their upcoming nuptials, which were only three weeks away._

_Having heard the elevator, Dorota approached with a mixture of fear and concern on her face, "Mr. Chuck, Miss. Blair in the sitting room with wedding planner. I be careful if I were you."_

_Chuck sighed, "Thank you, Dorota."_

_Blair had been a demanding bride since she started planning the wedding after their engagement, but as the wedding date got closer she had become more and more stressed and hard to please. There were a lot of expectations for their wedding from both the media and society and Chuck knew that Blair was really feeling the pressure to make it the event that everyone thought it would be._

_As Chuck approached the sitting room, he could hear Blair ranting at the wedding planner, "Look at these linens! I told you I wanted pure white and these are clearly eggshell. Can't you do anything-"_

"_Blair," Chuck said from his place leaning against the doorway, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"_

_His fiancée looked up from the quivering woman and stood to meet him, "Chuck, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be at the office all day."_

"_There has been a change of plans. We are taking the afternoon off. I have something to show you."_

_Blair hesitated, "That sounds tempting, but I can't," She gestured back towards the still frightened wedding planner and the table filled with notebooks and papers, "There is still so much to do for the wedding. I have to fix the linens and oversee the flower arrangements and recheck the seating chart and-"_

"_Blair," Chuck stopped her, gripping her arms, "No one is going to care if the table cloths are eggshell instead of white or if the flowers aren't perfectly symmetrical. Once they see you walk down that aisle, no one will be able to talk about anything but how beautiful you look." Blair rolled her eyes but a small smile appeared on her lips and Chuck knew he was winning her over. His hands drifted down to grasp hers and he gave her a slight tug, "Come on, Waldorf, I'm sure Carolyn can handle the decisions for one day, can't you Carolyn?" He called out to the planner._

"_Y-,Yes, Mr. Bass."_

"_See?" Chuck said turning back towards Blair with a small grin._

_But she was still reluctant, "I don't know…"_

_Chuck's lips tightened into a hard line, "I am going to have to insist." Blair looked highly insulted so he continued, "You are running yourself ragged trying to make this ceremony perfect. We can't enjoy a long and happy marriage if you kill yourself planning the wedding." He teased her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "So what do you say? Do you think you can afford one short break to relax with your devilishly handsome fiancé? It involves a present."_

_Blair perked up at the mention of gifts, as Chuck knew she would and she slowly gave in, "Well, I guess I can spare one afternoon-"  
_

_"Great," He cut her off before she could change her mind. He grabbed her hand and began leading her to the elevator calling to the wedding planner over his shoulder, "Carolyn, we will be back tomorrow, why don't you take the rest of the day off?"  
…_

_They had been riding in the limo for a quite a while, heading further and further from the city when Blair turned to Chuck with an accusing glare, "You bought a house."_

_He looked up from where his fingers had been gently tracing her palm, "What?"_

"_We're going to the Hamptons, aren't we?" She said, "You gave in and bought a summer house without consulting me first. What if I don't like it, huh? What if it's tacky? What if-"_

"_Are you questioning my taste, Waldorf?"_

"_No, no," Blair shook her head, "I just-, I wish you would have a least let me see it first."_

_Chuck's eyes narrowed in a piercing stare, "Don't worry, Lover, I'm sure you will adore it."_

_At that moment, the limo came to a stop and the driver opened the door for Chuck, who held out his hand to help Blair step out as well. She surveyed the property they had arrived in front of while Chuck gazed at her expectantly, waiting for her reaction._

"_Chuck," She began hesitantly, "This is-, um, it seems to be very _quaint._"_

"_It's small."_

"_Yes!" Blair whipped her head around and looked at him, "It is much smaller than everyone else's summer homes. I would be ashamed to have anyone over here. How could we ever host parties or-"_

"_We won't."_

_Blair paused and her brow knitted together in confusion, "What do you mean 'we won't'? I'm Blair Waldorf-soon-to-be-Bass. People expect me to-"_

"_I don't care what people expect or what they think," Chuck said, "This place isn't for them. It's for us."_

"_What are you talking about, Bass?"_

"_I know this house isn't a sprawling estate like Cece's old place but I bought it as an escape."_

"_An escape?" Blair asked dubiously._

"_Yes, for you and me and our future children. This is where we will go to get away from everything, from the pressures of society and the scrutiny of the media. It will be our sanctuary. No one will be allowed here. We won't have any fancy parties or any stuffy house guests. Just you and me and our family."_

_Her face softened, "Chuck-"_

_He placed his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes, "We need this Blair. You know it's never going to be easy being us. We need an escape from the constant strain of being ChuckandBlair in New York and this is it; our own little hideout."_

_Blair kissed him before she smiled and placed her hands on her hips, "Well, are you going to show me the inside of my house or what?"_

…

"I still can't believe Ed knocked up Emily Vanderbilt," Celia said with a shake of her head as she rode in the elevator to the Bass penthouse with Hank, CJ and Lauren. The four of them had all returned to New York that day for the few weeks before their weddings. CJ and Lauren had graduated the week before from Yale but they had remained in Connecticut setting up their new apartment until Hank and Celia had finished classes, "I guess it will seem more real once she is right in front of me looking pregnant. I haven't seen her since last summer before her parents moved her to DC."

"I've never even met her before," Lauren added.

The three other college students whipped their heads around to look at her with shock, "You haven't?" Celia asked, "I thought I pointed her out to you at the holiday party?"

"You did," Lauren explained, "I've seen her before, but I've never been formally introduced or even said one word to the girl." She turned to her boyfriend, "Do you think it is going to awkward?"

CJ shrugged, "I don't know. I've always thought Emily was a stuck up bitch, but maybe she's changed. I don't know, I never really knew her that well."

Celia gave him a disapproving look just as they reached the penthouse, "Oh, come on, she's not that bad."

"Babe, she was called the Wicked Bitch of the Upper Eastside even back when _we_ were in high school." Hank reminded her, causing the other three to laugh softly while they entered into the apartment.

Having heard the arrival of the elevator, Blair was walking briskly to the foyer, "Chuck?" She called out hopefully, "Thank god your hom-, Oh," Blair paused when she saw her sons standing in front of her instead of her husband, but she quickly recovered and smiled brightly, "Charles, Harold, you're home! I wasn't expecting you to arrive until later tonight."

The boys shared a concerned look at their mother's appearance and Celia, having noticed it, quickly looped her arm through Lauren's, "Come on, Laur, let's go find Lexie. I'm sure she is _dying_ to see us." She said, knowing that the boys would want to talk to their mother alone.

The girls went upstairs and were walking arm and arm down the hallway when Emily emerged from her room and almost ran into them. The younger girl was wearing a short, flowy sundress that, while not completely hiding her growing stomach, caused the baby bump to look like an illusion created by the cut of the dress.

"Oh my god, Emily, how are you?" Celia said, rushing forward to embrace the other girl, "You look great!"

Emily's gaze quickly flickered between Celia and Lauren as she answered tentatively, "Thanks, so do you."

Celia waved her hand dismissively and grabbed Lauren's wrist to pull her forward, "Emily, this is CJ's fiancée, Lauren. I don't think you two have met yet."

Emily relaxed slightly when she realized the unfamiliar girl was family and wouldn't share her secret with the media or her minions, "Oh, hi, it's nice to meet you," She said, extending her hand and flashing her best society smile.

Lauren shook her hand and smiled back, "You too. I've heard so much about you."

"All good things, I hope," Emily said, flipping her hair over her shoulder before turning her attention back to Celia, "Cece, how is the wedding planning going?"

"Oh good, there is still a ton of stuff to do though. I'm sure Blair will corner me after she's done talking to the boys downstairs." Celia rolled her eyes, "But tell me about you! I can't believe you are almost six months along! I can barely even tell that you are pregnant."

"That is all due to the excellent sewing skills of Blair and my Aunt Jenny," She said as she smoothed down the edge of her dress, "Trust me, underneath this fabric I look like a whale."

"I'd have to disagree," Ed said, emerging from his own room, "You look fucking fantastic with or without the dress; but especially without it."

"Ed!"

"I'm just speaking the truth, Vanderbilt."

Emily shook her head, but Celia and Lauren could see the hint of joy on her face.

"So you have managed to hide it from everyone at Constance?" Celia asked.

Emily nodded, "Yes, so far at least. I still have three more weeks to get through."

"And no one has been suspicious?"

"No," She paused and thought about it, "Well, I mean, I think some of the girls have definitely noticed that I've put on weight-"

"And all the guys at St. Judes have noticed your ever growing tits." Ed interjected, "Just last week they were betting on whether or not you had a boob job over spring break."

Emily looked horrified, "They were not."

Ed smirked down at her, "Oh yes they were."

"And what was your guess?" Celia asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Emily turned to him expectantly, "Yes, Bass, tell us what you bet."

Ed shrugged with his sleazy grin still in place, "I told them your rack looked natural to me. I said if I had to guess I would bet you just finally reached puberty."

Celia and Lauren's eyes widened slightly at his response and Emily's mouth dropped open in shock. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes angrily, "Well I'm sorry my previous size was so disappointing to you."

Ed could tell that she was upset so he reached forward to touch her but she slapped his hand away. "Come on, Vanderbilt," He said with a teasing note in his voice, "I just said that to keep those guys from scrutinizing your appearance. I don't like other men checking out what's mine."

He extended his hand again but she stepped away, "First of all, I'm not 'yours.' And obviously your words came from somewhere. You must have thought about it before."

"About your breasts and how amazing they have looked lately? Yes, I'll admit that I have thought about it many, many times." She scowled and he quickly took a step closer and continued, "But like I have told you on multiple occasions, I think your body is perfect, in any form. Whether your chest is huge or non-existent, I don't care as long as I get to see it," He wrapped his arms around her and began to press kisses along her jaw, "And touch it," He continued his lips hovering over hers, "And-"

"Okay, that's enough. Why don't you two get a room?" Celia interrupted, grabbing Lauren's hand and pulling her down the hall, "It was good catching up, but we're going to leave now."

Emily flushed and pressed her face against Ed's shoulder while he chuckled, "It was good to see you Cece; you too, Lauren."

The girls looked back, but the young couple had already disappeared into Ed's room, causing them both to shake their heads and laugh softly.

…

A/N: Ugh, this always happens to me. I write a flashback and then the chapter gets super long and I end up splitting it up before I get to the part that relates to the flashback. Oh well. I know I haven't updated in a long time, so I wanted to get this out there. In the next chapter Lexie will return as well the Bass's Hampton house (in reference).


	25. Stress Relief

A/N: I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update. I was really busy and then the second half of this chapter just wasn't coming together for me, but here it is. Also, I've decided on an ending point for this story, but there is most definitely 100% going to be a sequel!

…

Celia knocked loudly on Lexie's bedroom door, "Hey, Princess, open up!"

Her and Lauren laughed as they heard the squeal from inside the room and seconds later the door flew open. "Cece!" Lexie screamed before jumping into the older girl's arms, "You're here!"

Celia set her back on her feet and she grinned up at the older girl happily before she noticed Lauren standing behind her, "Oh, hello Lauren, you're back too!"

Lauren smiled, "Hi, Lexie."

The three girls moved into the bedroom and sat on Lexie's bed. "So, did you miss me?" Celia asked once they were settled.

Lexie nodded enthusiastically, "It gets so annoying when it is just me and all the boys. But there is another girl who lives here now. Her name is Emily and she is really nice. Ed put a baby in her tummy, so now she lives with us."

Celia and Lauren exchanged a look and tried to suppress their laughter at Lexie's simple explanation. "Yes, we heard about that. I'm glad you got some back up against those pesky boys," Celia told her, "Besides the addition of Emily, what else has been going on around here since we have been gone?"

Lexie adopted a serious expression that almost caused Celia and Lauren to break out in giggles once again, before she took a deep breath and explained, "Well, Theo got into trouble _again_ and Mommy and Daddy got really mad. And Ricky has a new girlfriend." Celia and Lauren's eyebrows shot up, but Lexie didn't notice as she explained, "I went into his room and they were kissing," Lexie made a disgusted face and continued, "When they saw me he was really mean and yelled at me to leave, but Mommy heard him and she made his girlfriend leave and gave him a very long lecture," She shrugged, "I guess she didn't want another girl with a baby in her tummy. They were on his bed and Daddy said that sleeping in bed with a boy is how you get a baby."

Celia and Lauren shared amused grins over her head, "Yes, that's exactly how it happens," Celia agreed, "Your Mom was smart to yell at your brother."

Lexie went on to tell them how Theo and Ed were fighting because all Ed did was hang out with Emily now and how Ricky was always making fun of Fitz because he never had girls over. The two older girls found it harder and harder to maintain straight faces as they listened to the latest events in the Bass household told through the eyes of its youngest member.

…

Downstairs, CJ and Hank had followed Blair into the kitchen and sat at the bar while she stood behind it and sorted through the mail.

"So, Mom," CJ began hesitantly, "How are things going?"

"Great," She said quickly, barely taking the time to look up at him, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just seem to be kind of…stressed."

"Stressed?" Blair said with a slightly crazed laugh as she set the mail down on the counter, "Why would I ever be stressed? I mean, besides the fact that I had to go down to St. Jude's today _again_ because Theodore can't keep himself out of trouble. He will be lucky to make it to graduation. Add onto that his tension with Edward and Edward's impending fatherhood and even I have to wonder how I've managed to remain so calm. And don't even get me started on the constant bickering between Sebastian and Fredrick and Fredrick's determination to get in a girl's pants because thirteen is apparently _way_ too old to still be a virgin." She paused and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I'm just-"

"Stressed," Hank finished for her, "And that's understandable. But you don't need to worry so much. I'm sure Theo and Ed will work out whatever issues they have. And I know we haven't been around, but from what I've heard from Ed and from everyone else it really seems like he has grown up and him and Emily are going to be just fine."

CJ nodded, "Yeah, and don't stress over Theo. Graduation is only weeks away. He has made it this far, the school isn't going to expel him now. They've put up with his antics for so long, they want to see him graduate as much as you do."

Blair smiled and shook her head, "I guess you're right."

"And as for Ricky," Hank continued, "I'll talk to him. I'm sure once I-"

"No," CJ interrupted, "_I'll_ talk to him." Hank opened his mouth to protest but CJ quickly explained, "You've only slept with one girl, the girl you are now marrying, and you waited until you were sixteen to do it. Ricky isn't trying to emulate you. He isn't going to give two shits about what you have to say."

"Charles! Watch your language." Blair scolded.

"Sorry," CJ rolled his eyes, "But it is true. I'll talk to Ricky and see if I can't get him to think a bit more before he takes action."

"Thank you," Blair said looking fondly between the two boys, "To both of you. I really appreciate you making such an effort to help out."

"But there is more." Hank said, reading her expression.

Blair sighed and busied herself wiping imaginary crumbs off of the counter, "It's just your father. He has been working so hard lately on this new project. He barely sleeps and I know he never even takes time to eat at the office, but he still comes home every night right on time for family dinner and spends a good deal of time with each of the kids afterwards. He is running himself ragged trying to do his job and maintain the expectations I laid out for him. I feel like it is my fault. If I wasn't so demanding with him, it might be easier for him…"

"Mom, Dad loves being with the family. He doesn't do that because you force him to." CJ told her.

"I know," she said, "But he's not as young as he used to be. I worry about him."

There was the sound of a throat clearing from the doorway and all three heads turned around to see Chuck standing in the entryway.

Blair's eyes widened, "Chuck! You're home."

Chuck smiled softly, "I am." He had overheard the last part of their conversation and while he didn't appreciate Blair calling him old, the sentiment behind the statement was admirable.

He walked into the room and kissed his wife firmly on the lips, not caring that his sons were sitting awkwardly nearby. When the broke apart Blair stared at him completely speechless and Chuck smirked down at her as he gently stroked her cheek, "Hi."

"Hi," She whispered.

"How was your day?"

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, "Okay. I temporarily bailed Theo out again, but we have a meeting with the headmistress tomorrow."

Chuck shook his head, "Can't do it."

Blair's eyes snapped open, "What do you mean you can't do it?"

"We'll have to reschedule it for Monday," He told her, his smug grin still firmly in place, "Because you and I are going away this weekend."

Blair still looked confused, "What are you talking about Chuck?"

"You said it yourself, I've been working way to hard lately and you are obviously extremely stressed. I think it is time that we took a little vacation to the cottage."

Blair shook her head, "As much as I'd love that, we can't, Chuck. We can't just leave Lexie and the boys-"

"The children will be fine," Chuck assured her, "Dorota will be here during the day and we have two excellent babysitters right here." He said, gesturing towards Hank and CJ.

"Chuck, they just got home. They don't want to spend their first weekend back in the city stuck watching their younger siblings."

"Actually Mom, we really wouldn't mind," CJ interjected, "What else are we going to do? Go to the clubs and pick up girls?"

Hank nodded in agreement, "Yeah, at this point any plans that don't involve picking out flower arrangements or table cloth patterns sounds good to me."

CJ laughed and lightly shoved his brother, "I told you that you should have convinced Cece to elope."

Blair's mouth dropped open in shock at the very suggestion of elopement, "CJ! How could you even suggest such a thing?" He shrugged and she turned to Hank, "And don't get to excited, Harold, the wedding plans are going to really start picking up very soon."

Hank groaned and CJ clapped him on the back, "Yet another reason why I'm glad Lauren wanted a smaller wedding: Her and her parents have taken care of almost all of the planning. I barely have to participate in any of it."

"I still don't understand why they wouldn't let us help out a bit with the ceremony." Blair huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Her parents are old fashioned, Mom," CJ explained, "The bride's family is supposed to pay for the wedding and that is what they intend to do."

Chuck raised a brow, "Be that as it may, I hope you have made sure that Lauren has been able to have everything she wants, even if it is beyond whatever sort of budget they may have set up."

"Don't worry, I have," He assured them, "For example, the reception hall Lauren picked out was way too expensive, but after I spoke with the owner there was a mysterious cancellation and in order to fill the slot he was willing to give them a discounted rate that was just within their price range."

Blair smiled proudly, "Good. It's her big day; Lauren should get to have everything she has ever dreamed of."

"Speaking of which," CJ said with a knowing smirk forming on this face, "You know that her family thinks her dress is from Eleanor Waldorf Designs, right?"

Blair tried to appear innocent as she replied, "They may have jumped to conclusions when I said we would provide the dress, but Eleanor Waldorf doesn't do wedding gowns."

"I know that, but when I tried to tell them Lauren shut me up before I could get the word out."

She waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, well, it's not a problem. I just put in a call to my old friend Vera Wang and she was happy to create a gown for Lauren. It really was no trouble at all."

CJ rolled his eyes knowing that Lauren's parents would flip if they knew that his mother had gotten Lauren a dress that cost literally tens of thousands of dollars.

Chuck reached out and took Blair's hand, giving her a slight tug, "Come, Blair, you have plenty of time to talk about the weddings when we get back. Right now we need to go pack."

Blair didn't budge, "What about your project? Can you really just abandon it for a weekend?"

Chuck sighed and stepped towards her, snaking his arm around her waist, "The deal is pretty much done. I'm sure my team can close it out without me help."

Blair still hesitated, looking back at her sons, "But…"

"Go, Mom," CJ said, "You need a break. And we'll be fine here. I'm sure Hank and I can handle the brats for a few days."

"Fine," Blair gave in, taking a step closer to her husband, "I guess it will be nice to spend some time alone at the cottage, just the two of us."

"Mmm," Chuck agreed, pressing his lips to hers, "I can hardly wait," He leaned in close so his mouth was right by her ear before he whispered, "To spend hours and hours in bed completely naked with my lovely wife."

Blair reeled back and slapped him on the shoulder, but she was a laughing in a way that she hadn't in weeks and that was enough for him.


	26. Closets

A/N: Ugh, it has taken me FOREVER to update. I'm sorry. But this chapter is super long, so I hope that makes up for it a bit!

…

"_Blair?" Chuck said softly, taking a step further into her bedroom. Dorota had said she was up here, but he didn't see her. He looked around for a moment before he heard some faint rustling coming from her closet. A smirk formed on his face as he strolled across the room but it was instantly wiped off at what he saw before him._

_Blair was standing in her closet, searching through hangers and hangers of clothing in only her lacy lingerie and an open sheer robe. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes drank in the sight before him. _

_After they had gotten engaged, Blair had decided that they would abstain from sexual relations for the last two weeks leading up to their wedding. At the time he had agreed, thinking that they could engage in all sorts of games to satisfy their hunger for each other while still building the anticipation for the wedding night, but now that they were into the second week of that time period, he was realizing just how long fourteen days was._

_Before she could notice his presence, Chuck walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her neck. _

"_Hmm, Chuck," She groaned, leaning back into his embrace, "What are you doing?"_

"_Giving some much needed attention to my stunning, irresistible fiancée," he said, nipping playfully at her ear and running his hands over her flat, smooth stomach._

_Blair placed her hands over his to pause their movement, "Well you need to stop," She turned in his arms and placed her hands on his chest, "Otherwise I don't know how long I will be able to contain myself," She said before she pressed a quick kiss to his lips and pulled away from his hold._

"_So what are you really doing here?" She asked as she continued her search through her closet until she picked out a simple, conservative dress, "Since I know you are well aware of our agreement for the next few days until after we exchange our vows."_

_Chuck sighed at her resolve, "Can't I just want to visit the beautiful woman that will soon become the next Mrs. Bass?"_

_Blair had stepped into her dress and she looked at him skeptically before she turned her back towards him, "Can you zip me up?" Chuck stepped forward and when his hand came into contact with her back she continued "And tell me the real reason you felt the need to drop by."_

_He quickly pulled up the zipper on her dress and stepped away, knowing that she wasn't going to give in to his advances. "My lawyer came in today and dropped this off for my consideration," He said, picking up a packet of papers he had set down on a nearby shelf when he had entered._

_Blair looked confused as she walked over to him and took the papers out of his hands, "What is it?"_

"_A pre-nup."_

_She looked up at him with wide eyes, "A pre-nup? I didn't know you wanted-"_

"_I don't," He quickly assured her, "The legal team did this on their own. They think I need to 'protect myself.'"_

_Blair's brow furrowed and she shook her head, "Chuck, I don't want your money. Even if things were to go bad, I wouldn't-"_

"_I know," He cut her off and put his hands on her arms, "And it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not going to mess up this time. Nothing is going to go wrong."_

_Blair smiled before she looked back down at the documents in her hand, "So do you want me to sign this, since it doesn't matter?"_

"_No," Chuck said with a shake of his head, "I already looked through it and I thought it might help you relax a bit to read it over and see some of the ridiculous things they felt the need to include."_

"_Thank you," She said, although she still seemed concerned, "But if your lawyers think you need to protect yourself and your company I don't mind-"  
_

_Chuck held up his hand to stop her and shook his head vehemently, "No, Blair, that isn't necessary. Let's face it, if things were to end badly between us it would be my fault. And in that situation you would deserve whatever you wanted from me."_

"_But Chuck-"_

"_Fine," He said, moving away from her and out into her bedroom. She followed and found him seated at her desk pulling a piece of paper and a pen out of a drawer, "We will write our own agreement." He told her, beginning to write as she neared._

_She read over his shoulder as he wrote and couldn't help but smile at what she saw. When he was finished his back straightened and he handed the paper over to her for inspection, "Here, how is this?"_

"_Charles Bartholomew Bass and Blair Cornelia Waldorf-soon-to-be-Bass agree that we will completely love and support each other throughout our union. We will fully share all possessions, thoughts, and feelings with no secrets between us," She read out loud, "In the highly unlikely event of an end to this union, the wronged party reserves the right to amass the best legal team money can buy and seek whatever amount of compensation they should so desire. And if this improbable split is somehow amicable, the aforementioned parties agree that all properties and wealth will be divided in a fair and peaceful way."_

_Chuck's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, "Are you satisfied?"_

_Blair nodded and kissed his cheek, "Now give me that pen so I can sign this thing and you can show those lawyers of yours that you are protected from your big, bad, bitchy fiancée."_

"_Hey, that's my future wife you are talking about," He teased as his lips leaned forward towards hers, "And I happen to love when she is a bitch."_

…

"Okay, so this is the color that you want for the linens?" Blair asked, holding up one of the many samples sitting on the table.

It was a week after she had returned from her weekend away with Chuck and she was feeling refreshed and content. It was the day of prom for Ed and Theo and Blair was spending the evening with Celia and Hank piecing together the last minute plans for their wedding while the twins and Emily got ready for the dance.

"Yes," Celia answered hesitantly before she looked over at Hank, "Right, Babe?"

"Yeah," Hank said indifferently, trying his hardest to stifle a yawn, "That one is great." He had tried to be enthusiastic and helpful with the planning, but all these trivial details were too much for him. At this point he just couldn't wait for the wedding day to arrive.

Blair frowned, but before she could scold him for his lack of interest Lauren walked into the room with a plate of light snack foods Dorota had prepared for them. "Hey, how is the planning going?"

Hank instantly perked up and grabbed a branch of grapes, "Great," He said sarcastically, "I love wedding planning."

Lauren laughed, "Yeah, your brother does too." She set the plate down on the table and sat down, "I can't believe the day is almost here already. My wedding is only a month away and yours is two short weeks after that!" She looked over at Celia with a teasing grin, "Oh, and you're welcome for delaying my honeymoon for two weeks so that CJ and I could attend your wedding."

Celia scoffed, "Whatever, Lauren," She teased, "My date was set before you even got engaged. You made that decision for yourself when you chose your date."

Lauren shrugged her shoulders and nodded, "That's true."

"Celia," Blair interjected in her best effort to keep them on task, "The wedding planner left this seating chart. It is pretty much finalized, but do you think we need any last minute changes?"

Celia looked over the chart and when her eyes landed on the family table she paused, "My mother," She looked up at Blair, "Are you sure she is coming?"

"Well, haven't you reminded her of the date whenever you have spoken with her?"

"I have, but you know my mom…What if she doesn't show up?" She asked, sounding like a small, scared child.

Hank reached forward and squeezed her hand reassuringly while Blair sat up straighter and her mouth formed into a hard line, "She will show up, I'll make sure of that."

Celia shook her head, "You can't know that. With my mom it's impossible-"

Blair held up her hand to stop her, "Nothing is impossible for the Basses. I have a team of PI's watching Serena. If she doesn't have her skinny little butt back here in the city two days before your wedding I am going to give them a call and fly to wherever she is so I can bring her back here even if I have to drag her by her long, shiny blonde hair."

"But what if she doesn't want to come? What if she doesn't want to be here for my wedding?"

"Oh, Sweetie, she does," Blair assured her, "She would never intentionally miss your wedding. She wants to be here. And I will make sure she is. I would never let her forget her one and only daughter's wedding."

Celia smiled, "Thanks, Blair."

Blair returned the smile and patted her hand, "It's no problem at all, Cece."

At that moment Dorota came into the room, "Ms. Blair, you have guest."

Blair excused herself from the table and followed the maid to the front hall where she saw Will Vanderbilt waiting patiently.

"William," She greeted him kindly with a kiss on the cheek, "How nice to see you! You look well."

He smiled down at her, "As do you, Mrs. Bass."

"And how is your internship with my husband? Or has that not started yet?"

"Next week," He told her, "Right now I'm just settling back into the city."

Blair nodded, "Of course. I know CJ is very excited to have you working with him this summer." She paused and looked around, "Um, he isn't here at the moment, but if you want to wait, Lauren, Hank, and Celia are all-"

"Actually," He interrupted, "I'm here to see my sister."

Blair's eyes widened slightly and then she shook her head, "Of course, how silly of me. Of course you want to visit with Emily. Jenny is helping her finish getting ready for tonight, but you are more than welcome to go up and see her."

"There is something I wanted to speak with you about first."

Will had a very serious expression on his face, which was unusual for him so Blair instantly frowned with concern, "Is everything alright?"

He cleared his throat and looked down, "Yes, yes, everything is fine," He stuffed his hands into his pockets and said in an official tone, "I don't know if CJ informed you, but my parents have given me an apartment for the summer while I'm here in the city. It is quite a large space and while both I and my sister are extremely grateful for your hospitality, I would be more than willing to have her come stay with me while I am here."

Blair huffed and shook her head, quickly dismissing his offer, "Don't be silly. It is absolutely no trouble at all to have Emily stay with us. Alexandra adores her and it is nice for me to have an extra set of hands around here."

"Yes but-"

"Plus," Blair continued, giving him a knowing look, "You want to have some fun this summer as well. You don't want to have to worry about a pregnant, hormonal teenager. And _I_ don't want to have to worry about her facing any complications on her own. I would rather have her here, with me. I know what she is experiencing; I have gone through it six times."

Will nodded and grinned, "I guess you're right. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to-"

"Nonsense," Blair said with a wave of her hand, "It is our pleasure to have Emily here. Now go on upstairs and say hello to your sister. I'm sure she will be excited to see you."

His grin grew as he said thank you and walked up the staircase to the second floor of the apartment.

Blair chuckled to herself as she turned to return to Celia and Hank. But she had only taken a few steps down the hall before a door opened and an all too familiar hand pulled her into the coat closet.

In an instant the door was closed and she was pressed up against it while her husband's lips latched onto her neck. "Chuck," She gasped, "When did you get home?"

"A few minutes ago," He said between kisses, "I slipped in while you were talking to William Vanderbilt."

Blair giggled as he nuzzled her cheek, "But why are you in the closet?"

"So many kids," He groaned as he pulled her closer and kissed her lips, "This seems like the only place I can get an uninterrupted minute alone with my wife."

Blair moaned at his touch, but before they could go any further they heard a call from down the hall, "Mom? Hey Mom, Where are you?"

Chuck sighed when he felt Blair pull away from him, "So much for uninterrupted."

She turned to him with a grin, "Don't worry Bass," She said as she took his hand and leaned in close to his ear, "I'll make it up to you later."

He followed after her while she opened the door and exited the closet, "I'm looking forward to it."

Blair rolled her eyes, "Come on, Lover. Our children await," She said, pulling him down the hall.

They walked back into the main room, where Hank, Celia, and Lauren were still sitting but with Ed and Theo now standing there as well.

"There she is," Hank said with a nod towards the door, causing the twins to turn around.

Blair gasped at the sight of them in their classic tuxedos. They looked so much like younger versions of their father, and the matching frowns they were sporting mirrored the expression Chuck featured on many occasions.

"You said you wanted to get some pictures of us before we left," Theo said in an annoyed tone, "So can we get this torture over quickly?"

"Yes, yes. Dorota!" Blair called, causing the maid to come bustling in with the camera in hand, "Dorota, can you take a few photos of the twins looking so handsome in their suits?"

"Of course, Miss Blair," She said with a nod.

The twins stood next to each other with their hands in their pockets while Dorota began snapping away.

"Can you try smiling in a few?" Blair asked, "It won't kill you, I promise."

At the same time the twins quirked up one side of their mouths forming that infamous Bass smirk. It wasn't exactly a smile, but Blair was more than satisfied with it.

After a couple more pictures, Theo sighed and pulled out his phone, "Is that enough? I really need to be going. My date hates to be kept _waiting_."

Ed, being familiar with the girl Theo was escorting to the dance, rolled his eyes at the innuendo. Knowing that girl and his brother, Ed would have been surprised if Theo made it to the prom at all.

Chuck was smirking with amusement and Blair frowned, "I guess so, just please be careful tonight."

Theo strolled over and kissed her cheek, "Don't worry, Mom, I am always careful."

Hank and Ed shared a look of doubt that didn't go unnoticed by their father, but they didn't say anything as Theo walked out of the house.

Only moments after he was gone William came barreling down the stairs. "The princess is ready to make her entrance," He said with a bow, extending his hand towards the staircase, causing everyone in the room to look up towards the second floor.

Emily descended the stairs with Jenny following proudly behind. She looked stunning in a dark, long dress that hid her growing baby bump.

"Oh, Em, you look beautiful!" Celia exclaimed, clasping her hands together with excitement.

"Thank you," Emily said, but she didn't so much as glance over at the other girl because she and Ed only had eyes for each other.

His eyes were wide and his mouth had dropped open slightly when he saw her. She approached him slowly and looked down with a bashful smile, "Hi."

"Hey," Ed said softly, "You look-, you look fucking amazing."

"Thank you," She said cocking her head slightly, "You clean up rather nicely yourself, Bass."

"Well I think you both look great," Blair said before she waved Dorota forward, "Come, let's take a few pictures before you go."

Ed groaned, but Emily pulled him into place beside her and placed her hand on his chest, "Oh quit complaining." She scolded him.

He muttered something under his breath about already having to pose for the paparazzi, but once she was pressed up closely against him his complaints seemed to disappear. Blair watched as he closed his eyes, pressing his nose to Emily's hair and kissing the side of her head. She was so proud of how much he had grown and matured since Emily had come to stay with them and she was still amazed by the transformation he had gone through.

"Okay, we should really get going," Emily said, pulling away from his embrace, "We want to arrive fashionably late, but if we don't leave soon we will be _too_ late."

Ed still couldn't stop staring at her as he replied, "The limo is already waiting downstairs."

"Great," She said, before she turned to the other people in the room, "Thank you Blair and Aunt Jenny, for all your help today. I really appreciate it. And thanks for stopping by, Will, I've missed having you around."

"No problem, Sis," He said with his usual goofy grin, "Don't worry, I'll be in your hair a lot more this summer while I'm here in the city."

Emily smiled, "I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm not," Ed said softly, causing Emily to elbow him, "Hey, careful there, Princess! Don't injure your date before you even get to the dance."

"Whatever," Emily rolled her eyes, but a small smirk was playing on her lips, "Let's go."

Emily took his hand and began to pull him towards the door. Just before they left, Ed turned back towards everyone, "Have an enjoyable night."

"You too," Lauren called.

Ed smirked just as he entered the elevator, "Oh, we will."

Emily hit him again just as the doors closed, causing the rest of the Bass family to laugh at the young couple.

...

A/N: Blah, it kind of fell apart there at the end, but I really just wanted to get it done. Please review!


	27. Secretary

A/N: This chapter is only a flashback because I don't have time to write a really long chapter, I wanted to write something, since I'm not sure when I will be able to update next. But the present day scene connected to this will be in that eventual chapter.

Also, apparently there is a knock-off version of this story out there. I guess that is…flattering? And super annoying. But anyway, thanks to all of you who reviewed that story telling the author that you were onto their copying and to those of you who told me about it. I appreciate you.

…

_Chuck sighed as he walked down the hall back towards his office. He had just gotten out of a meeting that had gone over two hours late and he was not in a good mood. All he wanted to do was finish up his paperwork and head home._

_He had just rounded the last corner before his office when he ran into his secretary._

"_Oh, Mr. Bass, I was just looking for you!" She said, "You missed three calls while you were in your meeting."_

"_Oh?" Chuck said, barely listening to what she was saying. Instead he was thinking of his wife and sons waiting at home for his arrival._

_Noticing his distraction, the secretary stopped talking and tilted her head, "Are you alright?"_

"_What?" Chuck blinked and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry; it's been a long day."_

_She batted her eyelashes and placed a hand on his arm, "Well, I could help you relieve some of that stress you have been under."_

_Chuck startled and looked up with wide eyes. He took a step back, "What are you doing?"_

_She stepped forward, "Come on, Mr. Bass, Chuck," she said with a small, seductive smile, "I could help you relax a bit before you go back to work."_

_Chuck pushed her hand off of his arm angrily, "I'm married."_

"_So? We both know how office romances work. Your wife would never have to know."_

"_I'm not worried about my wife finding out, although you probably should be," His lip quirked into a slight smirk for a second at the thought of what Blair would do to the girl in front of him before it quickly fell back into an angry frown, "I don't want to sleep with you. I love my wife."_

_But the secretary would not be deterred. She rolled her eyes with her grin still in place, "I'm sure you do, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun on the side. I know about your reputation. Why would you have hired me if you weren't interested?"_

_Chuck scowled, "That statement shows just how ignorant you really are. For one, your information on me is severely outdated. I am not a horny teenage boy anymore. And secondly, I don't do the hiring for the menial job positions. That task is left to my assistant, Tom, who tends to be ruled by the head in his pants instead of the one on his shoulders."_

_She took a determined step forward, "Regardless, you can't honestly say you are not at least a little bit interested. Just look at me." She said, gesturing down towards her body._

_Chuck sneered, "Look at what? Your bleached hair and your fake tits?" He scoffed, "Please, my wife is miles above you in terms of class, appearance, and personality, not to mention sex appeal. You cannot even begin to compare to her."_

_The woman's face fell before it hardened with anger, "I'm sure you won't be saying that when she is too tired for sex and all the passion and excitement is gone from your relationship."_

_He snorted, "You obviously haven't been to an office party or function yet. My wife and I can't keep our hands off each other. We are actually expecting our third child in five years. I don't think our marriage will be cooling down anytime soon."_

_She smiled cockily and sashayed forward, "You should call me in a few months when your precious wife is a fat cow who can barely waddle across the room, let alone properly satisfy your needs."_

_She reached forward to touch his face, but Chuck slapped her hand away before she could. His jaw clenched angrily and he was about to retort, but before he could they both heard a sharp, female voice called out, "Chuck." _

_Both Chuck and his secretary's faces snapped over to look down the hall and see Blair standing there in a perfectly fitted Waldorf Original that showed off all of her flawless curves._

_She had arrived at the office to share some great news she had just gotten with her husband, but when she had turned the corner she had seen the secretary making her first advances towards Chuck. Angry tears had instantly sparing to her eyes and she had been just about to storm forward and scream at him and ask him how he could do this to her when they had just found out they were having another baby. But before she had been able to take a single step she had seen Chuck moving away from the girl and she had then proceeded to listen to their conversation._

_When she saw how angry her husband had gotten at the girl's comments about her pregnant physique, Blair decided she had better step in before Chuck did something too rash, plus she was quite angry about the comments herself._

_When she saw Blair, the secretary got a guilty look on her face and instantly tried to put some distance between herself and Chuck to make the scene seem less scandalous._

_Chuck didn't even notice. He was too busy sharing a look with Blair. He saw her raised eyebrow and the vindictive gleam in her eyes and he noticed how her hands were on her hips. She was trying to suppress a smirk and Chuck knew she had overheard at least a portion of his conversation with the skank. He couldn't help but grin in anticipation; a trademark Waldorf smack down was about to occur and he had a front row seat._

"_M-Mrs. Bass," the girl stammered as Blair approached, "It's great to see you again."_

_Blair flashed her a tight, fake smile, "I would love to say the same, but ever since I became a mother I have been trying my best not to tell lies."_

_The girl's face fell while Chuck's grin only grew larger. Blair turned to her husband with her hand still firmly on her hip, "Sweetie, while I know Tom doesn't pick the girls he hires based on their intellect, this one is really on the lower end of the IQ scale, don't you think?"_

_Chuck nodded in agreement and the girl looked offended, "Hey!" She exclaimed, causing Blair to turn and glare at her._

"_I think my husband made it pretty clear that he was not interested in anything you had to offer," She said, "And yet you just kept throwing yourself at him."_

_The girl pouted as Blair reached out and took Chuck's hand in hers, "Why don't you go back to your desk and start cleaning out your things while I talk with my husband in his office." She told her, "I have some news to share with him."_

_The happy couple started walking down the hall but they stopped when the girl asked, "Why should I clean out my desk?"_

_Blair rolled her eyes before she turned around, "I think it is pretty obvious that your actions today were more than enough grounds for termination, don't you?"_

_The secretary was furious, "You can't fire me."_

"_No, but I can," Chuck said, "Blair is right; your behavior has not reflected the professional atmosphere that Bass Industries prides itself in. I expect you to be gone by the time I leave for the night tonight."_

_Chuck and Blair took the last few steps towards his office and at the door Blair turned and called out, "Oh, and if you hear some noises or groaning, don't worry, we are just keeping the passion alive." She winked at the girl just before she ducked into the office and the door slammed shut._

_As soon as it was closed, Chuck had his wife pushed up against it and started attacking her lips. He nibbled a path up to her ear before he whispered, "I love it when your bitch shows."_

_He bit down on her ear lobe gently, causing her to giggle, "Stop, Chuck," she said, pushing on his shoulders until he groaned and took a step back._

"_I thought we were going to have sex in my office?"_

_She laughed again, "We will, but first I have to tell you my news."_

"_Has Lily finally agreed to take the boys for a few days so we can celebrate your latest pregnancy properly?" He asked hopefully._

"_I didn't tell you?" She said with genuine surprise, "She said yes days ago. She can't wait to spend some time alone with her grandsons."_

_Chuck looked confused, "So then what is your news?"_

"_Well," She said coyly, "I just went to the doctor-"_

"_I'm sorry I missed it." He interrupted, "My meeting ran way over time and I had just gotten out of it when tramp-stamp Barbie started harassing me."_

"_I know," Blair said patiently, placing her hands on his face, "So shut up and let me tell you the news." She paused and Chuck raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for her to continue. _

"_The doctor said," She began slowly, looking at him with a smile, "That we are having twins."_

_Chuck's mouth dropped open in shock, "Twins?" He asked quietly._

_She nodded excitedly, "Yes, twins. Do you know what that means?"_

"_That the Bass sperm is as superior as I always claimed it was?"_

_She shook her head, "No, it means you need to get your super sperm taken care of," She made a scissor motion with her hands and looked pointedly down at his package, "because there is no way I am birthing anymore of your spawn after this."_

"_No," Chuck said adamantly, "I am not letting anything sharp near mini-Chuck. I will never risk damage to my favorite extremity."_

_Blair rolled her eyes, but before she could form a response, Chuck kissed her again. "We're having twins." He said with a tone of awe after the kiss ended._

_She smiled and nodded with tears in her eyes, "Yes, Chuck, we are."_

_Suddenly Chuck picked her up and spun her around, causing Blair to squeal. He laughed as he put her down on her feet and pressed his lips to hers. He was grinning like an idiot when he told her, "I love you."_

_She pulled his face close to hers and responded, "I love you too."_


	28. Prom

A/N: You all are lucky I hate writing papers, or else you would have had to wait much longer for this. Lol. But here it is, with plenty of Ed and Emily for all of you who missed them!

…

As was expected, Emily was crowned prom queen at the dance that evening. The race for king, however, was more up in the air. Everyone assumed it would be one of the Bass twins, since they were the most popular male students, even if they were not the friendliest. So even though he came in a few moments late with his hair in disarray and his tie missing, no one was too surprised or upset when Theo took the crown, except for his brother.

Ed had been hoping he would win, so he and Emily could dance before the whole school as the power couple they truly were. Sure, if he couldn't be the king, he was glad that his brother had won. Theo could be trusted to keep his hands to himself and not comment on or expose Emily's expanding stomach which he could surly feel through her dress as they danced.

But that didn't change the fact that he wanted to be the one out there dancing with his-, well he wanted to call her his girlfriend, but they had never really had that discussion, and any time he came close to broaching the topic, she would immediately clam up.

As soon as the song came to an end, Ed was right by the dancing couple's side and with a simple nod to his brother he took her into his arms for the next dance while Theo walked off the dance floor and back to whatever, or whoever, he was doing before the crowning.

Emily tilted her head and looked at Ed with a smug expression, "Jealous much?" She asked as they began to dance.

"What are you talking about?" He said, trying to look confused.

Emily just rolled her eyes, "Stop with the ignorant act. Do you think I didn't see you staring daggers across the room? Was that really necessary? He is your _brother_ after all."

"I know but-," He sighed, "I just don't like another man's hands touching you. Why the fuck did he win over me anyway? Everyone knows _we're _the actual couple."

"Because Theo is the one who can sometimes be nice," She said before quickly amending herself, "Well, nicer than you. He is the one who invites everyone to all your parties and he'll even take the time to talk to some of his classmates."

"I talk to them!" Ed protested.

"Only if you are trying to sleep with them."

He opened his mouth to disagree but stopped when he realized she was right. He had never been one to speak with his classmates unless he absolutely had too or if he was trying to hit on them. And ever since Emily had come back to New York even that little bit of interaction had stopped.

But it wasn't like Theo was Mr. Friendly. Yes, when they threw parties Theo was the one who extended invitations to their fellow students, but that was because he loved having as many people there as possible; the bigger the party the better. And he did sometimes make small talk with classmates, but that was only to gather any dirt that he could from them. But Ed couldn't care less about who was at their parties as long as there was booze and Emily; that was all he needed. And he already knew everything about everyone without pumping them for information. He had no need to speak with them.

He tried to tell Emily this but she simply shook her head, "I don't care," She said, "Just face it, you lost Bass. Get over it."

Ed scowled but let the subject drop, choosing instead to enjoy the feel of her pressed against him with their child nestled between them.

…

After the dance was over, Ed and Emily went with the rest of their peers to the after party because even though Emily was extremely tired and her feet were throbbing, she knew that as queen she was expected to at least make an appearance at the event.

She had just gone to the bathroom for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening, when Ed was approached by a blonde junior whose name he couldn't quite remember.

"Hey Eddy," the girl said coyly.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye before he went back to staring into his drink without saying a word.

The girl refused to be discouraged and moved her seat a bit closer to him, "I saw you seating here all alone and I thought you might like some company."

Ed looked over at her with a raised brow, "From you?"

"Who else?" She asked, leaning in closely and placing a hand on his thigh, "You know that I could show you a good time."

"All you would ever be good for is a good blow job." Ed sneered.

"Of course," She said as her hand began to drift higher up his leg, "If that's what you wanted."

"Well, it's not." He said, pushing her away abruptly, "As you know, I am with someone already."

The girl snorted, "Yes, Emily Vanderbilt, right? Please," She scoffed, "Everyone can see that she has really let herself go since you two started 'dating,' or whatever it is you are doing. And even before that she was always a complete prude. There is no way she could possibly be satisfying you."

Ed smirked, "Ah, but see that is where you are wrong."

The girl scowled and her eyes narrowed, "Since when has Ed Bass been monogamous? I didn't know it was so easy to get you pussy whipped."

Ed's jaw clenched angrily and he couldn't stop himself from biting back, "Fuck you, bitch."

She smiled smugly and moved closer to him once again, "Exactly, fuck me. You know you want to."

He pushed her away again, but before he could respond to her comment he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to see Emily standing behind him.

"Emily" he whispered, scared of how she would react to the situation since he wasn't sure what she had heard or saw.

"Hi, Ed. Sorry I took so long," she said with a bright (but obviously forced) smile, "Do you want to head home? I'm starting to feel a bit tired."

"Sure," he said, quickly rising to his feet, "Yeah, let's get out of here."

"Great," She replied before she turned her attention to the girl beside him, "I like your dress." She said in her most official queen-bee voice.

"Thanks…" the girl said hesitantly, unsure what Emily was going to do.

"Isn't it from last season?" Emily asked snottily, "You really should have checked into that. And I didn't think halters were made for people with football player shoulders, but you almost manage to pull it off." The girl's mouth dropped open at the thinly veiled insult while Emily smiled brightly at her, "Have a good night!" She called, before she walked towards the door with Ed following closely behind her without even bothering to spare a glance at the girl behind him.

…

Once they were out in the hallway, Ed grabbed Emily's arm to turn her to face him, "Wait, Em, slow down." He could tell she was upset and he wanted to talk to her while they were alone, "Listen, I don't know how much you heard, but nothing was going to happen with that girl. She came onto me. I wasn't going to-"

"I know," She interrupted him; "I was coming back from the bathroom when she sat down by you. I heard the whole thing."

"Oh, you did?" He said, slightly taken aback, "So you know I wasn't interested?"

Emily nodded, "Yes, but even if you were, I wouldn't have been mad."

Ed's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

Emily looked down and examined her nails as she shrugged, "If you wanted to hook up with her I would understand. You're not committed to me. You can go after any girl you want to, it's not my place to stop you."

"Yes but I don't want too. Why won't you get that?" He grabbed her hands in his in order to get her to look at him, "I want _you_, and only you."

"But why?" She asked softly, "I mean, that girl was right; I'm not exactly in tip-top shape. And you-, you could have anyone. Why would you want to be stuck with just me?"

"Because I love you," Emily's eyes widen and she tried to take a step away but Ed wouldn't let her, "You are absolutely perfect. Even before you got pregnant or moved in, I only wanted you. I loved you; I think I've always loved you."

"I-, uh, I-," She looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she stumbled over her words. But she was saved from responding when Theo stumbled into the hallway.

"Eddy!" He cried raising his arms and accidentally spilling some of the alcohol from the bottle he was holding in his hand. He strolled over towards the couple unaware of what he had interrupted and tossed an arm over his twin's shoulders, "How are you doing on this fine evening?"

"Great," Ed bit out, taking a moment to give Emily a pointed look before looking at his brother's rumpled appearance, "But obviously not as good as you. Did your date live up to your expectations?"

Theo smirked, "Oh, she was all I hoped for and more, especially when paired with Chloe Collins."

Emily was shocked, "You slept with your date and Chloe?"

Theo's head rolled so he could look lazily over at her, "At the same time," He said smugly.

Ed snorted and shook his head, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Why thank you, brother." Theo said, patting Ed on the back and almost falling over in the process.

Ed could tell from the way his brother was leaning on him that Theo was pretty wasted, even for them, "How high are you right now?" He asked as he helped Theo lean against the wall.

"Pretty damn high," Theo began to reach into his pocket, "Do you want some?"

Emily looked appalled but Ed just shook his head, "No, I'm good." Theo simply shrugged as his brother continued, "Why don't we take off?"

"But the party's not over yet, Edward," Theo said right before his eyes closed and he leaned his head back against the wall, "There are still so many horny, desperate sluts to bang."

Emily rolled her eyes and Ed chuckled as he pulled his brother up and led him towards the door, "Well, I think you've had enough fun for one night. You can barely stand, how are you going to get it up for a bunch of girls?"

"Oh, I'd have my ways."

"Gross!" Emily frowned in disgust as they got into the elevator. Ed kept trying to catch her eye; to let her know that he meant what he said and that he wanted a response, but she was avoiding his gaze at all costs. She may have wanted to avoid the conversation, but he wasn't going to let it drop forever.


	29. Weddings

Graduation came and went without any problems. It had become almost impossible to hide Emily's ever expanding stomach by the end, but the graduation gown was more than able to hide it from her classmates.

She was glad to finally be done with high school and the constant pressure to maintain her status as queen but the arrival of summer meant she was that much closer to having her baby. She was excited to finally see her child but at the same time she was also nervous because she had no idea how to be a mother and she was so scared of messing up.

She knew that Ed was having some of the same fears, but they hadn't talk about it together. In fact, they hadn't really talked about much at all since the prom. He had tried to bring up what he had said to her a few times, but she always avoided the topic. She had been shocked by his confession of love and even though it had made her heart soar to hear him admit his feelings it had also scared the shit out of her. Deep down she knew she felt the same way about him, but she couldn't admit it, especially not out loud.

In her experience 'love' and relationships had always been about image and making yourself look better. You fell in love with someone who could help you succeed or reach the next level, not someone who made you feel special or whatever bullshit they fed you in the movies.

Emily knew being with her was good for Ed. She knew that being with her made him look better in front of his parents and in the media. It made him more grown up and respectable. She knew why Ed had every reason to say he loved her, but it had seemed like he actually meant what he was saying. It had seemed like he actually cared about her, without even thinking about what everyone else thought, and that is what really scared her. She wasn't sure how to deal with that kind of unconditional love and emotion, so she thought it best to just avoid it as long as possible.

While she was busy trying to comprehend his feelings and whether they were true or not, Ed was attempting to find a balance between giving her the space she needed while still reassuring her that what he said was real. It had hurt when she ignored his declaration, especially because it had been so difficult for him to admit, but he was glad she finally knew. And even if she didn't feel the same way, it didn't change how he felt.

The arrival of the weddings came as a welcome distraction both from the ever-present tension between them and the growing nervousness of the upcoming birth.

CJ and Lauren's wedding was the perfect small town wedding with just a hint of the big city grandeur the Basses were known for. The ceremony was formal, but private, with mostly family and a few close friends in attendance. Lauren had her sister and best friend as bridesmaids while CJ had Will Vanderbilt and Hank. The reception was more informal, with a buffet dinner (which Blair tried her hardest not to scowl in disgust at) and Lauren's cousin serving as the deejay.

Hank and Celia's wedding, on the other hand, was the epitome of a fairytale and one of the biggest events the city had seen in years. Celia had six bridesmaids, including Lauren, Emily and Anne and Hank had all of his brothers in the wedding party and his college roommate. Chuck walked Celia down the aisle at one of the oldest, grandest churches in the city and although she had worried about her mother, Serena arrived a few days before the day of the ceremony. Blair didn't even have to check in with the PIs to see where she was.

The wedding went off without a hitch, despite even Hank's fears. Celia had not shown signs of fear or wanting to escape in a long time, but he knew marriage was a big step and he was still afraid that she would panic at the last minute.

So on the day of their wedding he stood outside her dressing room all morning, making sure that she didn't try to run away and if she did he would be right there to intercept her. He didn't care about all the guests or the big wedding ceremony; all he cared about was Celia. They could get married at city hall if it would be easier for her, it really didn't matter to him. He just wanted to be with her.

Hank had been assured throughout the day by pretty much everyone that came out of Celia's room that she was doing fine and that she was excited for the wedding, not scared. Hank was still concerned and he refused to be moved until it was time for the ceremony to start and he had to go stand in the front of the church.

The wedding was beautiful and afterward everyone was fawning over how perfect Hank and Celia looked together.

At the reception, Blair was sitting at the Bass family table as she watched Chuck dance to some flavor of the month pop song with Lexie. She couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Chuck's face when Lexie shook her little hips to the beat of the music. She was growing up so fast and both Chuck and Blair were not quite ready for it.

When the song ended, Lexie came skipping over to the table with Chuck following behind her, "Mommy, did you see me and Daddy dancing?" She asked excitedly.

Blair smiled, "I did. You looked like you were having fun out there."

"Uh-huh. I want to be a dancer when I grow up!" Lexie said with a twirl. Blair and Chuck shared a look over her head before she turned back to Chuck and grabbed his hand, "Come on, Daddy, let's go dance again!"

Chuck, who had just sat down, groaned softly, "Princess, Daddy's tired. Why don't we sit this one out?"

"But I want to dance!" Lexie pouted.

Chuck sighed. He really was getting tired, but he hated telling his daughter no. However, he was saved from having to give her an answer when someone taped her on the shoulder.

Lexie turned around and Will Vanderbilt was standing there. He bowed slightly and offered his hand, "Excuse me, Miss Bass, but may I have this dance?"

"Will!" Celia giggled, "We danced at the _last_ wedding."

"That's all the more reason for us to dance now," Will explained, "You're a good dance partner. So what do you say?"

Lexie blushed and looked at her mother who smiled encouragingly before put her hand in his and nodded, "Okay, let's do it."

Once they had gone onto the dance floor Blair moved her chair closer to her husband's and placed a hand on his thigh, "She really wore you out, huh?"

"I need a breather, and a chance to sit alone with my wife," Chuck said, leaning in close to kiss her cheek.

Blair rolled her eyes but rested her head on his shoulder, "Face it, you're getting old, Bass."

He grumbled something about not being too old to satisfy her needs as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. They watched all of their children having a good time and when Lexie paused in her dancing to wave at them Chuck smiled and Blair waved back, "He's a good kid." She said, resting her hand once more on Chuck's leg.

"Who?"

"William. He is so kind and friendly. And just look at him with Alexandra. I hope he finds a good girl to settle down with soon. He deserves it."

Chuck nodded in agreement. Will had only been working for him for a few weeks but so far he had proved to be a reliable and eager employee. "Who would have ever guessed that Trip and Maureen could have raised such delightful children?" He pondered.

Blair laughed, "You could say the same about us. Who would have guessed that _we_ would have such a well-adjusted normal, happy family? Serena was just asking me how you and I ended up being the epitome of wedded bliss."

"Because we were inevitable, Lover. I could have told you that," He said leaning in close to her ear, "We were made for each other."

Blair snorted, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. At that moment the deejay changed things up a bit and put on a slow song. Chuck rose to his feet and offered Blair his hand, "I'm not too old for this one. May I have this dance, Mrs. Bass?"

Blair stood up and placed her hand in his, "You may, Mr. Bass."

She rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed gently to the music with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her close.

Blair sighed and lifted her head so she could look at her husband, "Do you remember when it was our wedding? It seems like only yesterday that we were dancing our first dance as a married couple."

Chuck's lips lifted in a light-hearted smirk, "Of course I remember. It was one of the best days of my life."

…

_They moved out onto the dance floor as the first chords of the song Blair had picked out for them began to play._

_When she was pressed up tightly against him, Chuck leaned down and whispered in his new wife's ear, "Really Blair? A sappy country song? That is not what I expected from you."_

"_Shut up, Bass," She scowled slightly, but it didn't last more than a moment. She was way too happy to even feign anger, "If you would listen to the words you would notice that this songs fits us perfectly. Plus, you know about my appreciation for Carrie Underwood's music."_

"_Of course I do, Lover." He said, leaning in close to rest his forehead against hers._

"_I mean look at me," She continued, "One devilish look from those dark, sexy eyes of yours and every time like a fool I forget everything and fall even harder for you."_

_The playful smirk on Chuck's face grew larger as he pulled her even tighter against him, "Well then it's good that I've known since that very first night we spent together in my limo that you were the only one for me, isn't it Love? I'm never letting you go."_

_Blair grinned and pressed her lips to his, "Good," She whispered against his mouth, "I wouldn't have it any other way."_

…

Both Chuck and Blair were grinning as they remembered the day of their own wedding. "Not much has changed since then, has it?" He asked, looking down at her lovingly.

"Nope," Blair responded before she shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Well, except for the seven kids and a few grey hairs." She teased him, running her fingers over the lighter hairs at his temple.

Chuck scowled, "At least I still have most of my hair."

"That's true," Blair agreed as she placed her hands on his chest and tilted her face up so her lips were only inches from his, "And I like the grey. It makes you look dignified." She told him, right before she closed the distance and kissed him right there on the dance floor.

….

A/N: Hehe, can you guess what song Chuck and Blair had playing at their wedding? Also, Blair's 'love of Carrie Underwood' comes from the season 2 episode where she references one of her songs. Please review and let me know what you think!


	30. Defensive

A/N: Guess what is coming soon? Yes, that's right, the baby! Everyone get excited. Hahaha. But for now it is still summer time. Also, the last section of this chapter was inspired by Guardian Izz's wonderful suggestions. I hope it is satisfactory!

…

_It was a brisk September day, one of the first to show the early hints of autumn, when Blair was sitting at the bar in the Palace Hotel waiting for her husband of a little over a year to show up for dinner. _

_She was stirring her drink, fiddling with her cell phone when she felt someone sit down next to her. She looked up, ready to underhandedly demean whatever stock-broking yuppie had decided to try and hit on her. But she was startled when she recognized the man next to her with an open, friendly expression on his face._

"_Hey, Blair; it's been awhile."_

"_Cameron," Blair managed to shake off her shock and crack a slight smile, "It is nice to see you."_

"_You too," He answered, "I don't think I've seen you since graduation. How have you been?"_

"_I'm well. How about you? Are you still playing rugby?"_

_Cameron laughed, "No, I am actually about to start my second year of medical school. What about you, Blair? What have you been up to since we left Columbia? Did anything ever happen with you and that guy you tried to make jealous with me during freshman year?"_

"_I married him." Blair stated simply with a slight shrug._

_Cameron's brows lifted, "Oh really?"_

_She nodded, "Our wedding was right after graduation." Blair's eyes drifted towards the entrance to the bar and her face lit up as she saw the aforementioned husband walk in with their son in his arms, "Ah, speaking of the devil…"_

_Cameron turned just as Chuck reached them and he watched as Blair joyously reached for the baby saying "There is my favorite boy."_

_Chuck pouted, "What about me?"_

_Blair smirked at him suggestively, "I don't think anyone has called you merely a boy in years, don't you Bass?" _

_Chuck's expression matched hers as he conceded, "That's true."_

_They shared a quick but passionate kiss before Blair remembered Cameron's presence. She turned slightly and gestured towards him, "Chuck, I don't know if you remember Cameron…"_

_Chuck's eyes narrowed and he looked the other man up and down, "Ah, yes, Rugby, how are you?"_

_Cameron laughed again, "Is that really all everyone remembers me for?"_

"_That and your hideous knit sweaters," Chuck muttered, earning him an elbow in the side from his wife._

_Cameron shook his head and chuckled before turning his attention back to Blair, "So you have a baby?" He asked, "Wow. That's unbelievable."_

"_Yes, it is," Blair said, placing her hands on her stomach, "We are actually expecting again." She told him, looking back at Chuck who was smirking proudly._

_Cameron's eyes widened for a second and he had a look of understanding cross his face, "Well, that explains a lot."_

_Chuck's eyes narrowed and Blair's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?" She asked with a slight edge in her voice._

_He shrugged, "Nothing, it just clears up why you got married so quickly after graduation."_

_Blair reeled back in shock as if she had been slapped. Her face then morphed in anger as she stepped forward and spat, "Obviously you don't read the New York papers. If you did you would know that our wedding was one of the biggest events the city has ever seen and could never have been thrown together as some 'quickie wedding.' It took over a year for us to plan it."_

_Cameron held up his hands and quickly backtracked, "I didn't mean to offend you."_

_Chuck opened his mouth to respond, but Blair put a hand on his arm to keep him quiet. She flashed Cameron a tight smile, "Of course not. We understand."_

_Her husband rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the small of her back, "As great as it has been catching up, we have a reservation to make."_

_He took the baby from her arms and began to lead her away from the bar but she paused and turned around once more. She smiled kindly at the other man, "It was nice to see you, Cameron."_

_He nodded back, "It was nice to see you too."_

…

Emily was at the Eleanor Waldorf store looking through the racks of clothing while she waited for Ed and Chuck to arrive before she went up to the line's offices to meet with Blair. Emily's due date was a little over a month away and the four of them were meeting to discuss what their plans would be for immediately after the baby was born and for once Emily began attending classes at Columbia in the spring semester.

She was looking wistfully at yet another dress that she would not be fitting into for quite a while when she heard someone call out her name. She looked up and saw Abbey Nathanson walking towards her. Abbey had been a sophomore last year and one of her minions at Constance. She had always seemed nice and innocent and she had been loyal follower to Emily in high school, but Emily still grimaced when she saw her. She really hadn't wanted to run into anyone from school until after the baby had been born.

Abbey had been waving as she was approaching but her hand instantly dropped and her eyes widened when she saw Emily's protruding stomach.

Emily plastered on her fakest smile and tried to appear confident and unaffected, "Hi, Abbey," She said, "How are you doing?"

Abbey was staring at her stomach, but she quickly shook her head and met her eyes, "I-, I'm well. Uh, I-, um, how are you?"

"Good, good," Emily said, placing her hands on her stomach, "As you can tell, I'm pregnant."

"Yeah, uh, congratulations!" Abbey said nervously, "I-, I didn't know."

Emily shrugged, "Yes, well, no one really did."

Abbey's face suddenly brightened in realization, "Oh my god, that is why there were all those rumors at the end of the year about-" She suddenly clamped her mouth shut and blushed, not wanting to insult the former queen.

"What, about how fat I was getting?" Emily filled in for her, "Don't worry, I know all about that. And it is okay to say it, I was fat."

Abbey shook her head in disbelief, "I just-, I never would have thought you could be one of those girls."

Emily's eyes narrowed, "It wasn't exactly planned."

"No, no I'm sure it wasn't," Abbey agreed, trying hard not to anger the other girl, "So what are your plans for the fall? Are you still going to Columbia?"

"I'm taking the semester off. I'll begin attending in the spring." Emily said, but she was busy looking over Abbey's shoulder at the front door just as Ed and his father entered the store. Chuck immediately headed to the stairs to go up to the offices but Ed searched the showroom until his gaze met hers.

Abbey noticed her distraction and turned to see what she was looking at. When she saw Ed she spun back around and her eyes widened once again, "Oh my god. It all makes sense."

"What?" Emily asked, her eyes snapping back to the girl in front of her.

"That's why you moved back and why you moved in with his family. Ed is the father, isn't he?"

Emily sighed, "Yes, he is." She looked up again and saw that Ed had gotten caught talking to one of his mother's employees. She focused once more on Abbey, hoping to get rid of her before Ed came over and potentially caused a scene, "So why don't you just take your picture so you can send it to everyone and they can all know too."

Abbey looked shocked before she shook her head, "I don't want a picture."

"You don't?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"No, I mean, obviously you kept it secret to avoid the embarrassment and I wouldn't want to ruin that. I don't want to destroy your reputation."

"Why not? It would do wonders for your social standing."

Abbey shrugged, "Maybe, but I don't really have any desire to be queen or move up in the ranks. I like being on the outskirts of the group. It keeps me protected from mean girl torture without drawing too much attention to me. Plus, I always liked you. You were a way better queen than Chloe ever was. Your return was the best thing that could have happened last year."

"Really?" Emily looked almost embarrassed, "Thanks Abbey. I really appreciate you keeping this to yourself."

She grinned, "Oh, don't mention it, Em. You were always nice to me, even when I was a little freshman. It's the least I can do."

At that moment Ed reached them and snaked his arm around Emily's waist, "Hello, Love," He said, kissing the side of her head, "And hello, Nathanson, how are you?"

"I'm well," She said, looking down and becoming extremely bashful, "I-, I was actually just leaving. I have to get back to shopping."

"It was great to see you, Abbey," Emily said kindly.

"Yes, it was," Ed agreed, "And before you go, why don't you take another look around the store and see if you can find anything you like. It will be on me."

"What!" Abbey didn't know what to say, "I-, uh, you-, you don't have to do that."

"Of course I don't. But a friend of Emily's is a friend of mine." Ed grinned charmingly before he took Emily's hand and began to lead her away, "Take your time," He called to Abbey, "And I hope you find something."

Emily rolled her eyes as they walked towards the stairs, "You are ridiculous," she said, "She already said she wasn't going to tell anyone. You didn't have to bribe her."

Ed shrugged, "A little reassurance never hurt."

"Absolutely ridiculous," She repeated as she rolled her eyes once again even as a smile broke out on her face.

…

Upstairs, when Chuck had arrived he had been informed that Blair was in a meeting. He told the secretary that he would just wait for her and proceeded to walk towards her office. He was almost too the door when he looked into the window and saw Blair with another man. This man had his hands on her face and she was laughing at whatever he had just said.

Chuck immediately saw red and stormed up to the door. He threw it open and grabbed the man's shoulder, pulling him away from Blair, "What the fuck do you think you are doing? Get your filthy hands off of my wife."

"I-," the man began, but Chuck didn't let him continue. Instead he grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"Do you know who I am?" He hissed into the man's face, "Do you know what I could do to you?"

"Chuck, let him go!" Blair grabbed onto his arm and tugged until he released his hold, "He didn't do anything!" She turned to the other man and placed her hand on his arm, "I am so sorry, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He said, "But I think I'm just going to go. I'll call you next week to finalize the details of our deal."

"Okay, that sounds good. Again, I really am sorry." The man left and Blair turned to her husband with a furious glare, "What the hell is your problem?"

"_My_ problem? You were the one in here getting cozy with another man!"

Blair just stared at him for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. They had been married for well over twenty years and he still felt the need to go into these jealous rages. "I can't believe you," she said, "He is gay. If you had taken two seconds to actually assess the situation you would have been able to realize that."

"Then why was he caressing your face?"

"He was doing no such thing," She said easily but her eyes drifted away from his and towards the floor.

Chuck stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her chin to lift her gaze to his, "Then what was going on, Blair?"

Blair huffed and walked over to her desk so she could busy herself straightening out the papers piled there, "He was giving me some tips for my upcoming botox appointment."

"Your _what_?" He growled.

She looked up at him and tried to appear indifferent, "Oh, I didn't tell you? I scheduled an appointment with the doctor to get a few injections. It's no big deal, really."

"No big deal? Of course it is. It's a huge deal!" His face was turning red with anger and Blair could have sworn smoke was coming out of his ears, "No, there is no way you are doing this. I won't allow it."

Blair placed her hands on her hips, "Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Bass, but you can't stop me."

Chuck's jaw as clenched and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself, "Blair, you don't need any sort of plastic surgery. You're perfect as you are."

"Come on, Chuck, I am about to become a grandmother. Look at these wrinkles. I'm far from perfect, and those surgeries would be for your benefit as well as mine."

"I don't want them." He said as he stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips, "It is not worth it to me. Surgery means risks and risks means there is a possibility I could lose you and nothing is worth that." He shook his head, "No, I love you just like this. I don't need you to get some procedures so you can look like a plastic statue."

Blair was still hesitant, but her defenses were falling, "You say that now…"

"And I won't change my mind." He pressed his forehead to hers, "I love you, Blair, and nothing will ever change that. You are mine. And I hate sharing what is mine."

She sighed in exasperation but she couldn't hide the smile on her face, "I told you, he was gay."

"Regardless, I didn't like seeing him with his hands on you."

She rolled her eyes, "You are a possessive pig."

"And you love it." He finished for her.

"I do," She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss, "Now come on, enough of this foolishness. Edward and Emily are waiting for us."


	31. Party

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. I'm going to try to be more prompt for these last few chapters. As always, thanks for all the lovely reviews, they keep me motivated!

…

The end of August brought with it the start of classes at Columbia for both Theo and Ed. Chuck and Blair had given Theo an apartment only a few blocks away from the campus and he quickly earned a reputation for throwing the most lavish parties the school had seen in years, both at the apartment and at various Bass-owned clubs.

Ed, on the other hand, was more of an enigma at Columbia. Everyone knew Theo had a twin brother and many of them had seen him in classes or on campus, but they all knew he didn't live with Theo and they never saw him on the weekends or at Theo's parties.

This wasn't because of Theo's lack of trying. Both boys were pre-law at Columbia, so they shared most of their classes and were able to spend a good deal of time together through the week, which provided Theo with multiple opportunities to invite his brother out and scold him for being anti-social.

"I hate to break this to you, brother, but you are quickly gaining a reputation around here for being a bit of a prude." Theo said as they walked to their afternoon class, "I'm telling you, an appearance at my party tonight will be more than enough to prove that all the legends about the Bass brothers are true and that you aren't a complete nerd."

Ed rolled his eyes, "I don't give a fuck what any of the social-climbing pricks here think of me. Plus, you know I can't come. Emily could go into labor at anytime. I need to be there if-"

"Come on, Edward," Theo threw his head back and groaned, "I _know_ you've been reading those baby books you have hidden under your mattress, and even if you haven't, _I_ even know labor can last for hours. If precious Emily were to suddenly have her water break while you were out, you would have plenty of time to get there and hold her hand as she pushed out your inevitably good-looking child."

Ed chuckled and shoved him, "Shut up, man."

Theo smirked, "What? It is true, and you know it," His face sobered as he looked at his brother pointedly, "Besides, you need to stop hiding behind her."

Ed's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"

"I talked to your little girlfriend when I was over for brunch Sunday, and she told me that she has never once forbidden you from going out, in fact, she says she has encouraged it. Look, I know you are in love with her and all, but even she knows an exclusive relationship is foolish. Remember me and Anne last year? We were practically dating and now she fucking hates me," Theo looked down and ran a hand through his hair, "If only that bitch wasn't such a good lay…" He sighed and shook his head, "Regardless, the point is, you are pussy-whipped which seems like a huge problem to me."

"It's not-"

"It _is_ and don't try to deny it. I may be the king of this fucking school, but you are my brother and my best friend, and yet you are never around. The only time I see you anymore is when we are in class. I miss going out, having drinks, mocking skanks…and then fucking them."

Ed smiled fondly but then shook his head, "I can't do those things anymore. I'm having a baby. I have responsibilities-"

"No, you _will_ have responsibilities," Theo corrected, "Which is all the more reason for you to enjoy yourself while you still can." He saw that Ed was still hesitant so he softened a bit, "Come on, Ed. You don't even have to drink or get trashed, just show up. I really do miss hanging out with you."

Ed pressed his lips together and exhaled sharply, "Fine. I'll talk to Emily-," Theo's brows rose dubiously but Ed ignored him and continued, "And I'll try to make an appearance, but I won't guarantee I'll stay very long."

Theo's smirk returned as he threw his arm around his brother's shoulder, "Oh, we'll see about that."

…

When Ed arrived home a few hours later he went up to Emily's room and found her helping Lexie with her homework.

"Hey Lex, get out of here. I have to talk with Emily," Ed told his sister as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to his almost-girlfriend.

Lexie only scowled and refused to move, "No. She promised that when I finished my math problems she would watch a movie with me."

Ed's eyes narrowed dangerously, "I don't care. Now get the fu-"

"Ed!" Emily yelled; her eyes narrowed warningly as she tried her best to sit up with her very pregnant stomach. Finally, with Ed's help, she managed to sit straighter and she turned to address the younger girl, "Lexie, why don't you go downstairs and finish the last few problems and then pick out what movie you want to watch. By the time you do all of that, I'm sure your brother and I will be done talking, okay?"

Lexie pouted but gathered her schoolwork and stood up, "Okay, but I'm going to be done really soon."

Emily smiled, "That's fine. We won't be long."

Lexie ran out of the room and Emily turned back to Ed, "You really need to learn to watch your language."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Oh please, have you met my brothers? Lexie has definitely been exposed to the word 'fuck' already."

"Regardless, you won't be able to talk like that around the baby."

He nodded, "I know. I would never-"

"Okay," Emily cut him off, "Lexie really won't be gone for too long, so what did you want to discuss? Your brother's party tonight?"

Ed reeled back in shock, "How did you know?"

"Anne is going, so she told me about it. Plus, Theo texted me to make sure you didn't bail on him. I think his exact words were 'make sure the pussy shows up tonight.'"

Ed laughed and shook his head, "He is ridiculous."

When he glanced back up, Emily was looking at him seriously, "Ed," she said, "Why do you keep using me as an excuse? I would never stop you from going out. I-, I couldn't. I have no hold over you."

His eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about? Of course you do. You're-"

"I'm nothing. There is no label for me. We're having this baby together, but that's it. We're not married, we're not engaged; we're not even in a relationship. You are free to do whatever you want." She had looked down at her lap when she finished speaking, and while she had tried her best to hide it, Ed was still able to detect the hint of regret in her voice.

"The only things that go on at those parties are drinking, drugs, and sex. Why would I want to do any of that?" He asked.

Emily met his eyes looking confused, "You used to love going to those parties and doing those things. Why _wouldn't_ you want to go?"

"Because I love you," Emily's eyes instantly widened and she tried to shift away from him, but he grabbed her hand and moved closer before he continued, "And I know you love me too. You think you can change my feelings by ignoring them, but you won't. I'm in this for the long haul."

She didn't say anything in response, but Ed could read the fear all over her face, "Look, I know your family is fucked up," He told her, "And I know you're scared of being vulnerable and getting hurt because of it, but I would never do that to you. I've loved you my whole life and nothing is going to change that. You may think that because there are no labels between us that means there is no relationship, but as far as I'm concerned we are together, and that is why I'll always consult you before making decisions." He leaned forward, placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her, "I love you and I am going to keep telling you that until you believe it."

"Ed-," She began before she paused when they both heard the sound of Lexie running down the hallway towards the room.

Ed knew his time was up, so he kissed her one more time and stood, "I won't be gone long tonight, I'll probably only stay for an hour or so, but you don't have to wait up for me," He smiled, "You're probably exhausted. And if anything happens or you need me or just anything, you can call me and I'll be home as fast I can."

He had only taken a single step towards the door when Lexie burst in clutching her much-used DVD of 'Beauty and the Beast,' "I'm all done, Emily, let's watch the movie!"

Ed sent Emily one last smile before he left the room, chuckling to himself as he heard her respond to his sister, "Now how did I know you would choose this one? Don't you ever get sick of it?"


	32. Breaking

A/N: Okay, I am the worst. The worst. I am so so so sorry it took me this long to update. My computer was broken and I just didn't get it done. I'm really sorry. BUT now I am hoping to finish writing this story this week (there are only like two chapters left) and get them posted ASAP. Again, I apologize for the delay, but thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews!

….

It was a few hours into the party and Ed actually found that he had been having a good time. He had spent the majority of the evening talking with some of their classmates that Theo had invited while Theo 'entertained' some of his other guests. Ed hadn't planned on staying this long, but he had been enjoying himself and the time passed quickly.

Theo had disappeared a while ago, and Ed was sitting at the bar alone, quickly growing bored and annoyed at the increasing attention from drunk, horny sorority girls. He was swirling his glass of scotch, seriously considering taking out his phone and just texting Theo to tell him he was going home when he felt someone sit down next to him and look at him expectantly.

"I'm not interested. I have a girlfriend." He said without even bothering to glance up from his drink.

"Like I would ever be interested in you, Bass." Ed looked up just in time to see Anne Archibald roll her eyes, "But I'm glad to see you are remaining true to my cousin, even if she isn't technically your girlfriend yet."

Ed scowled, "What do you want, Anne?"

She shrugged, "You looked bored, and pathetic."

"I am bored. And the vultures are lurking," He said lazily, gesturing towards the nearby girls who were still sending him flirtatious looks, "I'm just waiting for Theo to come back so I can get out of here."

Anne rolled her eyes again and flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Have you ever met your brother? You might be waiting here for hours."

"Ah, that only applies to you, lover," Anne jumped at the husky voice in her ear and Theo smirked as she turned to glare at him, "You're the only one who could ever keep me entertained for that long."

"You're disgusting," She sneered, "I can't believe I ever touched you."

"Oh I can," Theo said, leaning in closer to her, "And I relive it in my mind almost every day."

Anne pushed him away from her in disgust, "You're pathetic too."

Theo opened his mouth to retort, but Ed interrupted before he could, "As much as I would love to sit here and listen to you two bicker, I think it is time for me to head home."

"So soon, brother?" Theo questioned, "The party is just getting started."

Ed shrugged, "What can I say; I already have a beautiful woman waiting for me at home." He walked over and shook his brother's hand, "Thanks for forcing me to come out tonight, T, it turned out to be much more enjoyable than I originally anticipated. Try not to get into too much trouble after I leave." He said with a smirk, looking pointedly at Anne.

Anne frowned but Theo's lips rose to match his brother's expression, "Don't worry, Edward, you can count on me." He said with a wink in his brother's direction just before Ed walked towards the exit, shaking his head at both his brother and the Archibald girl that held his heart.

Once he was gone, Theo turned to Anne with his eyes narrowed seductively, "Now we can finally get down to business."

"What the hell are you talking about, Bass?" She asked before she tried to walk around him.

He reached out and pulled her back towards him before trapping her against the wall, "Come on, Archibald. Quit with the act. Your panties are wet for me just like I'm hard for you. Stop pretending you want nothing to do with me."

"I don't."

He leaned in close so their lips were almost touching, "If that were true you wouldn't be here tonight. Face it, your body wants mine. Channel all that hate you are feeling into the undeniably hot sex we are about to have."

Anne tried to scowl, but Theo could tell that her resolve was weakening, "I have a boyfriend."

Theo scoffed, "That doormat? Don't even pretend like he could ever compare to me. We both know he is just a convenience for you; nothing more."

She tilted her chin up defiantly, "He loves me and is able to stay faithful. That's more than I could ever say for you."

"So is that what you want, a relationship? Since when? The girl I always knew never needed petty things like labels. She did what she wanted; fuck the rest of the world and what they thought."

"Well maybe I've grown up, something you obviously wouldn't understand."

His jaw flexed and when he responded there was a harsh edge to his voice, "I think you are just overcompensating. You want me, even though you know you shouldn't, so you are trying to change, or at least appear changed, so I'll stay away." His face was dangerously close to hers and his lips brushed against her ear as he continued, "Well I have news for you, princess. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always going to want to fuck you."

Anne pushed him away in disgust causing him to stumble backwards and she faced him with her hands on her hips, "You're high and you've already fucked multiple girls here tonight. I think you'll be fine without me." He tried to reach for her, but she slapped his hand away, "I'm going to follow your brother's lead and get out of here. It is starting to get a bit out of control anyway."

"Anne-" Theo said, trying again to grab her hand.

She pulled away and shook her head, "Don't, Theo. I'm serious, I can't just be one of your multitude of whores anymore. If you want to get with me again you're going to have to mature, at least a little bit." She smiled and took a step away from him, "Thanks for inviting me. Like Ed said, have fun tonight."

She walked away and Theo turned into the wall, leaning his head against the cool paneling. After a moment he slammed his fist against the surface in frustration, "Damnit!" He yelled before standing up, straightening his suit and heading back into the heart of the party more determined than ever to find whatever drugs and girls necessary to enjoy himself even if the two people he was closest to had left early.

…

When Ed arrived back at the Bass penthouse, he decided to take a peek into Emily's room before he went to bed, just to make sure she was alright. He opened her door as quietly as possible and was shocked to see that she was still awake with her laptop opened in front of her.

She looked up at the movement and smiled when she saw him standing in the doorway, "Hey, you're home."

Ed took a step into the room and closed the door, "Yeah, sorry I'm so late. The party wasn't as lame as I thought it would be. What are you still doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get comfortable."

She shifted on the bed and Ed walked over and climbed in next to her. He looked down at the screen of her computer and raised an eyebrow, "More baby shopping? We already have everything this kid could ever need."

"I know," Emily sighed, "And I'm not buying anything. These outfits are so cute; it's fun to just browse." She reached up and shut the screen and turned to him with a smile playing on her lips, "But tell me all about the party. I have to live vicariously through you now."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Trust me, you didn't miss much. Theo was off doing drugs and sleeping with random girls most of the evening and I spent my time talking to classmates and trying to avoid the advances of scantily clad sorority girls."

The teasing in Emily's face faded, though she tried her best to hide it behind indifference, "Were any of them hot?"

Ed shrugged, "I didn't even take the time to really look at them. Not when I knew I had you waiting here at home for me."

Emily still looked doubtful, but her smile had returned, "You really are a good guy, aren't you?"

He looked down sheepishly, "I don't know if I would go that far." She placed a hand on his cheek and he looked back up, his gaze meeting hers, "But maybe for you, only for you, I can be."

She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Stay," She whispered against his lips, "Help me get comfortable. Just stay until I fall asleep."

"Okay," He said, helping her shift until she was lying down before he wrapped his arm around her and laid down behind her, "I'll stay. Just go to sleep. You and the baby need your rest."

He pressed his lips to her shoulder and closed his eyes, drifting off just as quickly as she was in the comfort of his arms.

…

The next morning, Blair was taking Lexie to go dress shopping and out to lunch for some mother daughter bonding. It was still early for a Saturday, so Blair wasn't surprised that she hadn't heard the boys stirring quite yet, but she knew that Emily hadn't been sleeping well lately so she decided to go up and just let the girl know where they were going.

"Emily, dear," Blair said as she opened the door, "Lexie and I-, oh!" She exclaimed when she saw Ed lying in the bed, his body pressed closely against the back of Emily.

Both teenagers woke up at the sound of her voice and Ed quickly rose from the bed. "Mom, I-," He tried to explain, but Blair cut him off.

"Save it. I'll talk to you later," She looked over his shoulder and addressed Emily, "I just wanted to let you know that Alexandra and I are going out for a few hours. I was going to tell you that if you needed anything just call…but obviously you will be taken care of." She looked disapprovingly at her son once more before she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Shit." Ed muttered before he rushed out the door after her.

"Mom!" He called, hurrying to catch up to her, "Come on, Mom, don't ignore me."

Blair paused and turned around, looking at him expectantly.

"Listen, I'm sorry. It was an accident." He attempted to explain, "I didn't mean-"

"We have one strict rule." She interrupted, "Just one. You don't share a room with a girl under this roof unless there is a ring on that girl's finger." She paused to collect herself, "Now your father and I were going to make an exception once that baby is born, but you have to understand, you have younger siblings who-"

"Who what?" Ed asked angrily, "Who don't know about sex? I hate to break it to you, Mom, but that ship sailed a long time ago, even for Lexie."

Blair's eyes flashed angrily and she crossed her arms over her chest, "I was going to say 'who look up to you.'"

Ed's anger disappeared and he took a deep, calming breath, "I'm sorry. Like I said, it wasn't intentional. I got home late last night and Emily couldn't sleep. I was just sitting with her and we must have drifted off."

"I understand, Edward, but you need to be more careful. While you live in our house you have to follow our rules." Her lips quirked upwards in a slight smirk, "And there aren't that many of them. It shouldn't be too difficult."

Ed grinned and looked down sheepishly, "I know."

Blair patted his cheek affectionately, "Okay, I really do have to get going before Lexie gets impatient. Your father is at the office handling something, but I'll have my phone on if you need me."

She began to walk down the hallway, but Ed called out causing her to stop, "Mom!" She turned around and looked at him questioningly, "I just want you to know, if it was up to me there would already be a ring. There would have been a ring a long time ago."

"Oh Edward, don't give up. She'll come around eventually."

"I know she will," he said confidently, "I won't stop until she does."

…

Blair and Lexie had been gone for a little over an hour and Ed was doing homework in Emily's room while she continued 'browsing' for baby items. She had waddled out to use the bathroom a little while ago and Ed had thought nothing of it.

He was still engrossed in his school work when she came back and spoke in a soft voice, "Ed."

The fear he heard in her tone caused his head to snap up and when he took in her wide-eyed, panicked expression he began to get really worried. He jumped up from the bed and ran over to her. He placed his hands on her face and asked, "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

"I-," She hesitated, "I think my water just broke."


	33. Panic

"_Chuck?" Blair's voice drifted into the closet where Chuck was picking out a tie for his suit. She was nine months pregnant and Chuck really didn't feel comfortable leaving her for even a few hours to handle some business at the office, but Blair had insisted. However, the tone of her voice made Chuck pause in his search and furrow his brow._

"_Chuck!" This time he could easily detect the panic in her voice and he quickly forgot what he was doing and rushed out into their bedroom to find Blair standing in the middle of the room awkwardly looking down at her feet._

"_What?" He asked looking at her feet than back at her face, "What is it? Are you okay? Is it the baby?"_

_Blair looked up at him and her eyes were wide with barely controlled fear, "We need to get to the hospital. My water just broke."_

"_Shit," Chuck rushed forward, then paused and ran his hand through his hair and looked around the room. "Okay. Shit, we need to get to the hospital. We need to-, we need to-"_

"_Chuck!" She grabbed his arm to make him look at her and stop freaking out, "You need to relax. Then you need to call for the limo and get my bag for the hospital." She saw him looking around for the bag in slight panic and she calmly told him, "It's already packed and ready to go in the closet. While you do that I am going to call the doctor and let him know we are on our way."_

_Chuck took a deep breath, "Okay." He said before he pulled out his phone and began to walk towards the closet._

"_And Chuck," Blair called out, causing him to pause and look back at her with concern and fear still clearly on his face, "Everything is going to be fine. This is a _good_ thing."_

_Chuck nodded but Blair could tell he wasn't fully convinced. Ever since they had found out they were expecting Chuck had been excited, of course, but Blair could always tell that he had a hidden level of trepidation about the whole situation. It wasn't that he didn't want to be a father, because Blair knew that he did. He wanted to be everything that Bart had never been for him. But all the years that Bart had made him believe that he had killed his mother at birth had made him fearful of what could happen to Blair. He was scared to death of losing her and he did not even want to think about what he would do if she were to be harmed during labor. _

_Blair did everything she could to reassure him, but she had realized months ago that the only thing that would relieve Chuck's anxiety was to actually have the baby be born with no complications for her or the child._

…

_Blair's contractions were coming strong and close together and it was getting to be _very_ painful. When each one hit she gripped Chuck's hand as hard as she could and cried out in agony which was causing Chuck to look more and more concerned as the hours progressed._

_Chuck's eyes were wide as saucers and he was basically frozen in his seat. He wasn't talking or coaching his wife or helping her in anyway. Finally, after one particularly agonizing contraction, Blair turned to him angrily, "Chuck, you need to pull yourself together in these next two minutes before the next contraction hits or so help me God; I am going to kill you when we get out of here."_

"_I'm sorry," He said softly with a shake of his head._

"_I know you are all freaked out because of the lies Bart fed you as a child, but the only person whose life is in danger here is you if you don't start helping me." Her grip began to tighten on his hand as another contraction hit and her voice was more strained as she continued, "You are the one who is supposed to be supporting me here, not the other way around!"_

_Chuck took a deep breath and nodded before he leaned closer to the bed and placed his other hand over Blair's so it was clasped between both of his. "You can do this," He told her, "Remember what we learned in the birthing classes. You need to breathe; deep breathes, Blair."_

_Blair listened to him and not too long later their first child, a boy, was born. As soon as he loud wails pierced the air of the hospital room, Chuck felt all the tension leave his body and he looked down at his wife and laughed, "You did it, Blair. He's perfect." He leaned down and kissed her, "You're perfect."_

_A short while later the baby was presented to his parents wrapped tightly in a soft blue blanket. Blair handed him over to Chuck who looked down at the little bundle in his arms in complete awe. "Blair, I know we still haven't agreed on a name, but I really don't care. If you want to name him after you father that is fine with me."_

"_No."_

_Chuck looked up from the infant in his arms and met Blair's gaze, "No?"_

_Blair smirked, "While I'm still firmly against naming him 'Rick Blaine,' I don't think he is a Harold either."_

_Chuck was still confused and skeptical, "You don't?"_

"_Nope," Blair shook her head, "I think he looks more like a Charles, don't you?"_

"_Blair-," Chuck began as he walked over towards her._

_But she interrupted him, reaching forward so he would place the baby in her arms. She ran her finger over the baby's cheek and smiled, "Charles Bartholomew Bass Junior." She raised her eyes back to Chuck's, "He looks just like you."_

"_Blair, are you really being serious right now?"He asked._

"_He is your son, Chuck, and one day he is going to want to be just like you; or at least he should. Of course I am serious." She looked back down at the baby and kissed the top of his head, "My little Charlie. We did good, Chuck, didn't we?"  
_

_"Yes," He said softly, "We did."_

…

Blair and Lexie were in the limo on their way to lunch after a long morning of shopping when Blair's phone began to ring. "Hello?" She said, picking up after she saw it was her son, "Is everything alright, Edward?"

"Mom, Emily's water broke."

"What?" Blair could hear the panic in her son's voice and it brought back memories of his father when they were going through their first pregnancy. "Did you call the doctor?"

"Yes. We're going to the hospital now. You need to meet us there."

Blair remained calm even as her son was freaking out. She had been through enough births to not lose all sense of rationality in the moment, "Okay, I'll get there as soon as I can. And don't worry, I'll call your father. You just need to focus on Emily right now."

"I know, Mom, I am. Thank you."

Blair hung up and noticed Lexie looking at her questioningly, "Was that Ed?"

"Yes," Blair told her, "Emily is having the baby."

"She is!"

"Yes," She said, absentmindedly running her hand over her daughter's hair, "So I am going to have to take a rain check on lunch and bring you home, okay?"

"No," Lexie protested, "I want to come with. I want to see the baby!"

Blair shook her head, "You can't come. The baby isn't going to come until later. Dorota will bring you and the boys to the hospital when it gets closer to the time for the baby to arrive."

"But-"

"No buts," Blair told her, "You would only be bored at the hospital. Dorota will get you there in plenty of time to see the baby, I promise."

Lexie continued to pout, but Blair wouldn't be swayed. Both parents tended to spoil their daughter, but Chuck had always been more of a pushover which had caused Blair to be more firm with the youngest Bass child.

Blair scrolled through her phone to the number for Chuck's private phone. She knew he was currently in an important meeting, but this particular number was only for family and Chuck always had the phone on him, no matter where he was.

Sure enough, after only two rings Chuck picked up, "Hello?"

"Hi Darling. How is the meeting going?"

"Awful. I can't wait to get out of here." There was a pause before he asked, "Is there any particular reason you are calling? Or did you just want to rub it in that I am stuck in this stuffy office while you are out spending my money with our daughter?"

"First of all, I have my own money to spend, thank you very much," Blair said spitefully, "And also, I just wanted to let you know that your son just called me and informed me that Emily is going into labor."

"Oh," She could tell that Chuck was genuinely surprised, "Is he hyperventilating?"

"Not as badly as you did," Blair teased, "I told him I would let you know. Obviously there is no rush. You will be able to finish up your meeting and I can call you when it is closer to the time for delivery."

"Okay. I should be able to wrap things up in about an hour," He sighed into the phone, "This was such a waste of my time. I can't believe I had to spend half of my day here."

"Aw, you poor baby," Blair cooed, "It will be over soon. And just think, by the end of today you will officially be a grandpa."

"That does not make me feel any better…Grandma." He hung up before she could respond, laughing to himself as he walked back into his meeting.


	34. No Regrets

"_Darn it," Blair muttered under her breath and placed a hand on her stomach before she quickly finished changing baby Sebastian's diaper. She had hoped that she was just having Braxton Hicks contractions, but as they got stronger and closer together she couldn't deny that she was going into labor._

_She picked the baby up and carried him down the stairs. "Come on, Sebby," She cooed, "Let's go find Dorota so Mommy can get to the hospital."_

_She had just reached the first floor of the penthouse when the twins came running past her, screaming like banshees with Dorota following close behind scolding them for causing a ruckus. She had them trapped in a corner and Blair approached with a hand on her hips, "Edward, Theodore," She scolded, "Behave yourselves. If you give Dorota any more trouble, your father is going to hear about it when he gets home."_

_The boys nodded their heads obediently and Blair pointed up the stairs, "Now go play in your rooms for a bit. Mommy has to talk to Dorota and I don't want to hear even one peep out of you, do you understand?"_

_The twins nodded again before they scurried up the stairs and away from their mother's wrath. Once they were gone, Blair handed the baby over to the maid and pulled out her phone, "Dorota, I just have to call Chuck really quick, but I hope you can stay late tonight. It seems I may have to make a trip to the hospital tonight."_

"_Is everything alright with the baby, Miss Blair?" Dorota asked with concern._

"_Oh yes," Blair said with a casual flick of her wrist, "I'm just going into labor."_

_Dorota's eyes widened but Blair didn't even noticed as Chuck picked up his phone, "Hello, Lover, to what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"_Hi Chuck. I know you are in the middle of closing an important deal, but I just thought you would want to know that I am leaving for the hospital as soon as I get my bags packed."_

_The teasing was gone from his voice when he replied, "Why? How far apart are your contractions?"_

"_Almost three minutes, so I really should be leaving soon." Blair told him, "But if you want to finish your deal, go right ahead. I'm sure there is still time."_

"_I'll wrap it up as quickly as I can. Don't have this baby without me. I want to be there for the birth of my last child."_

_Blair laughed, "Okay, Bass, I'll do my best."_

…

_Chuck had arrived at the hospital just in time to witness the birth of the sixth and final Bass boy. Blair was holding him in her arms and Chuck was sitting on the side of the bed looking down at him as well, "He is beautiful, Blair. You did great."_

"_So did you," She said, looking up at him with a twinkle in her eye, "I think this is the most composed you've ever been in the delivery room."_

_Chuck scowled with embarrassment, "Is it my fault that I still get nervous for you?"_

"_You do?" She asked incredulously._

"_Of course I do!" He told her, "I've realized over the years that child birth is a lot safer than I originally thought, but I know there is still a risk. And any risk involving you is something that concerns me."_

"_Well I guess you don't have to worry anymore," She said with a smile, "We won't be taking any more risks. This is enough."_

_Chuck reached out and stroked his sons cheek, "Yes it is."_

…

A few hours after they had arrived at the hospital, Ed and Emily's son was born. After he had been cleaned off and check by the doctor, Emily was holding him and looking down with a beaming smile on her face. Ed was sitting on the side of the bed, leaning over Emily's shoulder and staring at their son in awe when a nurse took the opportunity to snap a quick picture of the young, happy family.

"I knew it would be a boy" Ed bragged.

"Of course you did," Emily said sarcastically.

But Ed remained confident, "I told you, from your side we had a sixty-six percent chance for a boy and from my side it is about an eighty-six percent chance, so according to the odds, it was almost a guarantee."

Emily laughed and shook her head, "That's not how it works."

"But I was still right," Ed insisted softly.

"Yes, I guess you were," Emily whispered, unable to pull her eyes away from the tiny person in her arms. "He's perfect, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Ed said just as softly, "You both are."

Emily eyes drifted up towards Ed for a moment before she rolled her eyes slightly and turned her attention back to the baby.

"You were amazing today," Ed continued, ignoring her reaction, "Thank you for doing this; for giving me a chance and for giving me him."

For a long time Emily didn't respond and Ed thought she was not going to respond to his declaration, just like she hadn't in the past. But just when he was ready to let it go he heard her speak, "I love you."

It was so soft that he almost wasn't sure he had even heard it. His eyes widened before he shook his head at his own foolishness. She was talking to the baby. She _had_ to be. She had ignored him just like she always did.

But then she looked up at him with a small smirk on her face, "It's hard to respond to, isn't it?"

She didn't even have a chance to take a breath before his lips were on hers, pouring all of his feelings into the kiss before he broke away and gazed into her eyes while his thumb stroked her cheek, "You have no idea how long I have waited for you to say that." She giggled and he grinned, "Oh, and I love you too."

…

Ed walked out to the waiting room with a large grin on his face and spread his arms wide, "It's a boy!"

Blair was the first one to her feet as she rushed over and embraced him, "Oh, that's wonderful, dear!"

Chuck came up behind her and noticed Ed look around the room for a moment before he shook his father's hand. "Theodore isn't here," Chuck said, knowing exactly who Ed was looking for, "We called him multiple times, but he never answered."

"Oh," Ed said with just a hint of disappointment before he shrugged and allowed his smile to return, though it was slightly more subdued, "Well, do you want to come meet your grandson?"

"Yes, of course!" Blair said excitedly as Chuck sported a small grin and nodded his agreement.

They followed their son down the hall to Emily's room. When they walked in the door, Emily greeted them with a smile and Ed went over to her and took the baby into his arms.

"Mom, Dad," He said as he approached them, "I'd like you to meet your grandson, Tristan Charles Bass."

Blair immediately moved forward so Ed could place the child in her arms, cooing the whole time over how cute he was while Chuck had frozen in place, staring at his own son with a shocked expression on his face.

After a moment he composed himself and cleared his throat, "Edward," He said sincerely, "Thank you-"

"Come on, Dad, you had to expect this. You've been a great example for me…for all of us. I'm not going to be the only one who names a kid after you."

Chuck's expression of shock returned and Ed couldn't help but chuckle. He had never seen his father appear so disoriented. "I-, I never-" Chuck began before Blair tore her attention away from her grandson for long enough to address her husband.

"See? I've been telling you for years that you are nothing like your father. Will you finally believe me now?" She didn't even give him a chance to answer before she carried the baby over to Emily and handed him over, "He is beautiful, Emily."

"Thank you," She said softly before looking over at Ed, "He looks just like his father."

Blair smiled as she stroked baby Tristan's cheek, "He does, doesn't he? Those Bass genes were always strong."

Behind them Chuck and Ed shared a knowing smirk. Of course the Bass genes were strong; they had always said the Bass sperm was superior.

…

After the nurse came in to take Tristan to the nursery so Emily could get some rest, Ed escorted his parents back out to the waiting room. Lexie was disappointed she didn't get to see the baby, so Chuck and Blair took her and the rest of the family over to the nursery so they could see him through the window.

Once they had said their good-byes and left the waiting room, Ed noticed that there had been someone else there. Theo was leaning against the wall and judging from his appearance; it seemed that he had just arrived. He was still wearing his suit from the party the night before, although now it was much more wrinkled and loose. His hair was also in complete disarray and his eyes were bloodshot when he met his brother's gaze.

"Hey man, congratulations," He said, "I heard Emily finally popped the kid out."

"Where were you? We kept calling you."

"I know," Theo sighed as he ran his hand over his face, "And I'm sorry I was late. I just-, I was up all night with the party and all, and then a few of the girls had stayed over and this morning things just got carried away again. I didn't even hear the phone." He looked up at his brother, "I really am sorry."

Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Did you hear what we named him?" When Theo stared at him blankly, Ed continued, "Tristan Charles."

Theo snorted, "Nice. I'm sure Dad was thrilled."

"That's not why we chose that name," Ed told him, "Well, it did factor into the 'Charles' part. But do you know why we chose Tristan?" Theo shook his head, so Ed explained; "Now he has the same initials as his godfather."

It took a moment for Theo to fully comprehend what his brother was saying, but when he did his eyes widened, "You want _me_ to be the godfather of your child?"

Ed nodded, "I know you are already the uncle, but he is going to have a bunch of uncles. I-, we wanted you to be special."

"But I-, I'll fuck it up. I couldn't even get here for his birth. I-"

Ed reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, "It doesn't matter. You messed up here, but you'll do better. You're a Bass; you're loyal. You handle your responsibilities and you'll be there for him in the future, right?" Theo nodded tentatively and Ed shrugged, "So that's all that matters. Tristan won't need you to be perfect; he'll just need you to be there."

"I can do that."

"Good," Ed said, "Now why don't you go home, shower, and sober up a bit before you come back here and meet your nephew."

Theo nodded in agreement, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Perfect. I can't wait for you to meet him."

…

Maureen Vanderbilt had just returned from yet another Charity luncheon and she was sorting through the mail that the maid had left in the foyer for her. She paused when she came across a letter addressed to her with a New York return address.

She frowned in confusion as she neatly opened the envelope and was shocked at what she found inside. She pulled out a picture with two lines of writing on the back. She looked at the image of her daughter in a hospital bed with an infant in her arms and Ed Bass looking over her shoulder. Even Maureen had to admit that the photo radiated happiness and love.

She flipped it over and read what her daughter had written on the back. It was just two simple sentences: 'No regrets. I wouldn't change a thing.'

…

A/N: I can't believe this is the end. It's been such a long journey and I want to give a big thank you to all of you that have been reading. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have!

But don't fret, this isn't the end. The sequel, 'Resilience' is already in the works. It will start off as the story of the Bass family dealing with an issue that they didn't think they would ever had to address again, but it will morph into an examination of Theo and Ricky and their complicated relationships with the Archibald girls (Something many have you expressed interest in).

So please review and let me know what you thought of 'Being There' and what you hope to see in 'Resilience'!


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